Truth Lays In Lies
by My Light of Life
Summary: A strange girl appears in the night. Holding dark secrets of the past. An old friend of Nightwings. She's broken inside, where will she lead the team? And what secrets can she keep and for how long will her new friends trust her? How will everyone act with this powerful girl? With an enemy just outside no mans land. SuperMartian & NightShad(OC) & Spitfire
1. Do Not Dwell On The Past

Hello FF readers, this is my first story that I've decided to show the world! Hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 1 - Do Not Dwell On The Past

The building exploded behind her. She fell from her skateboard, and ducked behind a trashcan. She knew they would find her here, they always found her, one way or another. She was so tired of running, hiding from everyone she met, her friends and family; although most of her family was gone, she was tired of fighting.

She sensed something coming towards her. It was blue with what looked like wings.

"Are you alright?" It asked. It was a young man. She could feel power flowing off him. She turned to face him, he held out a hand to help her up.

"Yes. I am fine. Thank you." This attack had taken her off guard, thinking she had at least another week or so before they came. She turned to look beyond the man in front of her seeing another boy who was green and kept changing into different animals. Looking up she saw a man flying with a black t-shirt with a 'S' in the center. She was disappointed that he did not show up, they had not seen each other in a while.

The men had contained the now dying fire as the trucks arrived with water and the police were coming to keep the late nighters back.

"There's no one here Blue, I don't get it." The one in the black t-shirt came down, landing next to Blue. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes. He reminded her so much of Clark.

"Is she alright?" He asked. She looked back and forth at both boys that stood before her. Not knowing whether to ask about him or take off running as she always did.

_No, no more running_. She thought to herself.

"I would like to speak with Nightwing, if I may." The girl had a strange accent almost a combination of what sounded like Russian and some kind of European. The now three men standing in front of her thought she was nuts. No one had every asked them anything like that.

"It is important, I must meet with him." She begged. "Please"

"Look we admire your dedication to the League, but that's impossible". The man in black turned to walk away, when the girl began to speak again.

"Conner Kent, Garfield Logan, Jaime Reyes." She spoke it quietly so only, the four of them could hear it. All three men stood there unsure of what to do or say. She had thought that might convince them to take her to Nightwing. The one with the t-shirt walked over and grabbed her by the collar pulling her toward his face. She had not realized just how tall he was.

"Who are you and how do you know our names. Huh? You think you're so smart planting an explosive, we come for it then what, kill us!?" He yelled at her. She put her small hands over his, held on tight, felt his source of power flow into her; it was a rush, a type of high. She twisted his hands with a strength that was unnaturally strong, which put him on his back.

The other two boys stood there unsure of what just happened. The girl's eyes were stricken with fear. "I'm sorry I did not realize you were so strong." She held out her hand, which he pushed away.

"How do you know our names?" The green one asked. She was backing away from the crowd that had continued to gather around the now fallen building. The boys turned to look one last time at the crowd before following the girl towards an empty lot behind another building across the street.

"I am a telepath, among other things as well." She stated it almost as if she were scared of herself. Scared of the power that she had. "I am truly sorry I did not mean to cause you harm or anger you, I did not intend on them finding me here this early."

The boys were contemplating their current situation. "I am part of the League, if that would make a difference."

" Wait, what?" The young green boy looked confused for a moment. "What is your name anyway?"

" Shadow." A male voice said from the far end of the dark lot. He was finally here. She would have recognized his voice anywhere. She turned to face a handsome man wearing a blue and black leotard with a mask forever covering his eyes.

"What the hell? Nightwing?" Conner questioned. "I thought Shadow was dead."

" Shadow has died many times before." She said looking down at her feet. Shadow had learned not to think about her past, it hurt too much.

"But she always finds her way home, to friends." Shadow gave a small faint smile, as she looked him in the eyes. "Guys this is Shadow, Shadow; Super Boy, Beast Boy and Blue Beetle." Nightwing pointed to each of them. "Shadow specializes in keeping tabs on everyone and everything. Her team has infiltrated many bureaucrats of most wanted criminals, on many worlds." At the mention of her team, Shadow slammed her fist into the brick wall next to her.

"They are all gone, all of them, every single one. I could not do anything. Blood, there was so much blood."

At this Nightwing wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. The rest of the guys stood dumbfounded at what they were witnessing. Nightwing had never done anything like that before.

The two of them stayed like that for a few moments before Nightwing let go. "Do you know who is after you? Was it the same group that took out your te...?"

" Yes." Shadow said as she cut him off. "I have a few theories as to what type of weapons they use."

"Wait; hold up a second, how do you know her, and what the hell is she talking about? Nightwing what is going on?" Blue Beetle had been quiet along with Beast Boy. " I don't even know who Shadow is and what do you mean by 'she has died many times' this makes no sense."

" Uh yeah I'm with Blue on this one." Beast Boy said.

"Shadow is the original Justice League." Super Boy shrugged his shoulders not caring what Nightwing told the team.

"Shadow is known as an entity, the first Shadow was born 1416, and she was born with the ability to create different genes other than her own DNA code. However, of course no one knew this until hundreds of years later. Shadow has the ability to absorb powers and then mimic those powers."

" So how does that make her an entity?" Beast Boy asked.

"This Shadow in front of us is her own person, but she has memories of every Shadow that has existed before her." Nightwing explained." She is a reincarnation."

" So, she's had these powers for 600 years, and she still can't control them?" Beast Boy said doing the math on his fingers.

"I was taken by surprise this time, I panicked. I did not realize how strong Super Boy was and I took too much of his..."

"Whoa wait hold the phone, amigo. She can take powers just by touching people?" Blue Beetle said as Shadow changed from a young girl to Blue Beetle." Maldito! So you can use my powers now?"

" In a sense yes, your powers are very different them many I have encountered before. There is something that seems to be controlling it, I could feel it when you helped me up. I can use your powers as you would but only use the weapons that you have created in the past nothing new that you will create." Shadow turned back into herself. She was average height for her age, standing at a total of 5'6" at the age of 17. She looked down at herself, then back at the men in front of her. "Nightwing?"

" Yes?"

" Why do I never have a uniform to wear?" She asked him.

"I'm not sure, most of the League has only heard rumors of you and no one really sees you as well you." Nightwing rubbed the back of his neck unsure of what to tell her. It had been ten years since he had last seen her. It had been ten years since...the accident. "Why do you ask?"

" No reason." Shadow had never truly been alone until now, she just wanted to fit in, feel a sense of belonging.

"Uh, can we get back to the people that just try to blow you up?" Super Boy said with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yeah but we should finish this conversation at the Kent's place." Beast Boy said as the group looked over at what was left of the building, which ended up being a small convenience store. Beast Boy and Blue Beetle took off heading in the direction of the house.

"Nightwing, why didn't you tell the team about her? She put innocent people in danger tonight. You're lucky they had just closed up. We should let Batman know that she's her with us." Super Boy said.

"She is part of the League I'm sure Batman already knows that she's here. She probably told him she was coming." Nightwing shot back.

Shadow cleared her throat. "Well, 'she' is standing right here. Look, you two have no reason to trust me on this and Batman has no idea that I am here. I have not talked to him for three years."

" Super Boy listen let's just get back to the house and we'll figure something out."

" Fine and how are you planning to get there. How did you find us anyway? We were out getting dinner when we heard the explosion." Super Boy asked.

"I already knew that Shadow was here. The computer picked up something coming into the atmosphere last week. "

"How did you know it was me?" Shadow was sure she remembered to cover her tracks.

"The way you cover your tracks or at least your attempt at covering them. Earth technology has changed since you were last here." Nightwing looked at Shadow and frowned, she looked down at her feet again. She always did that when she felt threatened or ashamed.

"Great, she has to work on her powers. Can we go now?" Super Boy said as he flew off.

Shadow walked over to Nightwing and placed a hand on his cheek Nightwing looked at her and smiled. "Come on lets go" He said and she teleported them to the Kent's house.

* * *

AT THE KENT'S HOUSE

Nightwing and Shadow walked through the front door and met the faces of, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, and Kid Flash. They were all in casual clothing waiting for dinner that finally arrived. "Yo, Shadow glad to finally meet you" Wally wrapped an arm around her with a tight squeeze.

"How do you two know each other?" Miss Martian asked excited to have another girl in the house.

"OH you know, Dick here told me all about her, there let's say, old friends." Wally grinned.

"We can talk about that later. Right now, we should tell Batman and Superman that you're here. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you." Nightwing said.

" Yes we'll let the big guys know, but first let's get you settled in." Miss Martian said as she led Shadow up the stairs toward the bedrooms.

Shadow was shown to her room, she teleported the rest of her stuff from the shitty hotel a few miles away. She looked at herself in the mirror, her ratty old beat up shoes, which were covered in duct tape. She smelled, her black skinny jeans had multiple holes in them, and her ACDC sweatshirt had long since faded. She attempted to comb through her long auburn hair, with her fingers.

* * *

Shadow walked down the hallway looking at the pictures on the walls, of Superman when he was little all the way up to a few years ago.

"What are you really doing here?" Super boy walked up from the other end of the hall. "You've been on your own for 600 years and you come back for help? Something's not right about this."

" I know you do not like me, many people do not." Shadow said not looking at him.

"Whatever, and don't screw around with Nightwing he has enough to deal with." Super Boy knew how she felt. He was in her position only a few year ago, no friends, and unknown limitations. "Look I know how you feel I..."

"I know you do, can we not talk about it. Please." Shadow knew what he had been through she had just relived it not an hour ago.

"So how do you know Nightwing, you two do a mission together or something?"

" No"

"You care to elaborate on that?"

" Nightwing and I knew each other when we were little. The mission you went on about five or so years ago, the one with the circus that's where we met.

"Wait, you were there?"

" No, no let me rephrase that, I was brought up in that circus. Nightwing's whole family took me in. I was almost six when Batman found him. His parents...um...well...they had an accident."

" What kind?

"I really should not be telling you this; it is not my place to."

Super Boy knew that Nightwing had always kept secrets. However, if this one had to deal with Shadow he had to know. He had heard all the rumors about Shadow, how she could be anywhere, and nowhere all at the same time, and her team was strictly picked and trained.

"He has never forgiven me, he hates me for it. Even if he does not show it, I can feel it eating away at him."

Super Boy looked at her shocked. "Why do you think that?"

Shadow took a deep breath, and then looked Super Boy in the eyes. "I let his parents die."

* * *

" Her whole teams gone. I'm not sure how she doesn't seem to want to talk about it."

" Dick, I can understand why you want to help her, but Shadow has always figured her problems out, without the least bit of help from the League."

" But she's always had her team to back her up, why can't she work with us?" Nightwing was pissed. He could not believe Bruce.

"You're in charge of this team if you want her on it, then ask her, if she stays then so be it. If she says no then let her leave."

" You're going to let me decide on this. You mean she can stay?!" Nightwing was ecstatic. "Wait, you never let me make big decisions like this, what's the catch?"

* * *

There are two cliffhangers! WOO! Kid Flash is just here as comic relief for awhile. I'm not going to give away any spoilers just yet. Ages of everyone will be in the beginning of chapter two. OH and Blue Beetle is in control of his scarab.

READ&REVIEW

THANKS!

~My Light of Life


	2. The Battle At Kent's Place

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY. NEITHER DO I OWN BRANCH OF SIN FROM DEADMAN WONDERLAND! ITS JUST ONE OF THE BEST ANIME'S EVER!

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 2-Battle At Kent's Place

"You killed his parent's?" Super Boy was confused. The way Nightwing acted early looked like he was almost family. "What happened?"

Shadow looked down at her feet; her eyes had begun to water. No one had ever seen her cry but her men, her team.

"It was just any normal show, but something went horribly wrong. The ropes broke causing all of them to fall. They did not have a net." Shadow had never said any of this aloud to anyone before. "I was too young, too weak. I could not save them all. Nightwing's parents...all they were thinking about was him, they wanted him to live, and they loved him so much." Shadow was on her knees, she covered her face." I let both of them die, I let them all die. It is my entire fault. My team, his parents", she held back a cry. "And all those people, I cannot do this anymore!

"Hey, hey calm down. It's going to be alright." Super boy regretted asking her to tell him this.

"Oh there you guys are...what's going on? Shadow are you okay?" Nightwing walked over and knelt down. "What happened?"

" I'm so sorry! You can hate me all you want, just please don't leave again!" Shadow clutched to Nightwing, trying her best not to cry.

"She told you?" Nightwing helped Shadow up from the floor.

"Nightwing I had no idea, I'm fine with Shadow staying here everyone seems to like her."

" That's what I came here to talk about; Batman said you could stay but..." Nightwing stopped talking as Shadow shook her head knowing what he was about to say. "Um... he said I could ask if you wanted to stay." Although the team needed to be briefed on Shadows current situation, he let her have his one moment of bliss.

Shadows eye's had grown wide, and she actually smiled, really smiled her first in a long time. "I accept."

" That's good to hear. I'll go let Batman and the rest of the team know." Nightwing walked back down the hallway then turned and shouted. "We have training first thing in the morning, don't forget."

" I better go, I should get some sleep" Shadow walked to her room without a glance back.

* * *

" I killed them!" Shadow screamed. She pushed the knife the rest of the way through his heart. Blood splattered on her face. She threw her head back and laughed one full of insanity. Her eyes dilated and glazed over. She stood up and looked at the scene in front of her, bodies were everywhere." I killed them." She said again. "I killed them all." She raised the knife above her head...

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Shadow come on wake up its time for training." Miss Martian said. Shadow sat up in bed and gasped for air.

"I'll be there in moment." Shadow gathered her covers up around her. It had been a week since...the incident. Her team slaughtered in front of her. "All those people." Shadow needed to stop thinking about it. She got out of bed, threw on an old pair of blue shorts and a black tank top with ' Elvis Has Left the Building' printed in big white letters on the front. She put on her favorite pair of combat boots and walked out the door down the hall. "Good Morning." Shadow said and gave them her best fake smile.

"Come on everyone is excited to see what your powers are like." Kid Flash said as he led Shadow outside.

The cornfield was their training grounds. Shadow had heard about the mountain blowing up and the destruction of the Hall of Justice. Shadow walked out into the morning sun, it was warm, peaceful. She knew she would eventually have to tell everyone the whole story, the real story about her past, but for one minute, she just wanted to enjoy herself, for once.

"Okay first up" Nightwing said. The team would pair up and fight until one of them stepped out of the circle. "Miss Martian and Kid Flash."

The two of them walked up and stepped into the circle, which was built with half a foot of fencing around the outside with six wooden beams, which towered over the field. The circle was a little bigger than a football field; they had to squint to see the fight.

Kid Flash took off as he ran circles around Miss Martian, which created a dust cloud. She took off flying above him.

It was a short fight. Miss Martian ended up winning, when she came up behind him. He had stopped a few feet from the fence; Miss Martian swooped down and knocked him off his feet.

"Hahaha! Okay, okay I give." Kid Flash said as he tapped the ground.

Miss Martian smiled, and then helped him off the ground. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

Nightwing's whole team was there. Shadow had seen all of them before but at a distance or on a screen. She could name them all including their real names, birthday and how they came to be superhero's. She didn't know what mattered most of all. What they like do on days off or their favorite food or relationship status'. Shadow was left in the dark when it came to simple human reaction and small talk. She watched the fight with Nightwing in her side view. She knew what he was thinking and she was not happy about it. "Okay, up next Super Boy and Shadow."

Shadow looked at Nightwing and gave him a look that could kill. "If you're going to stay then you have to train."

" Fine."

" Okay let's see what the newbie's got." Super Boy was interested in seeing Shadow's powers in action.

"There are rules for this match. Shadow you're limited to two powers only." Nightwing said.

"What the hell? That's so cheap, she's holding back then." Super Boy stated.

"It's a test, to see if I can survive a fight with only two powers, and not rely on all of them."

The rest of the team had grown restless, they were anxious to see Shadow and Super Boy fight, since everyone had heard that Shadow flipped him the night before. The two of them walked up and stepped into the circle.

"Two powers, huh. That has to be two out of what, hundreds of powers you have." Super Boy said, rubbing his hands together. He was ready for the fight. Super Boy had wanted a rematch since last night.

Shadow smirked "Thousands". She dug her feet into the ground. She could not decide what powers to use. She thought they would just come to her.

Super Boy charged toward her, jumped in the air, fist raised high, and slammed down into Shadow. She deflected his blow with an energy shield.

_Damn it._ Shadow thought. _Focus you only have two powers in this fight._

She looked at Super Boy who was ready for a fight a real fight and she was going to give it to him. She turned to look at the rest of Nightwing's team, bad choice. She turned back just in time to see Super Boy throw another punch at her, which sent her flying into one of the wooded beams. It splintered all the way up.

Shadow stood up and looked back at a piece of wood sticking out from the beam, she frowned, there was no blood on it, which meant that she wasn't cut. She had an idea, not a very good one but it would have to work.

"What's the matter? Come on stop playing defense." Super Boy taunted.

Shadow placed her left palm over the jagged edge, then her right and pushed. She felt it go through her hands, pain was something that had always bothered her, but she had learned over centuries that it's all in the mind. Learn to control it and the pain will go away. However, she had not quite mastered that tactic and felt a portion of it.

She pulled her hands out in one swift move. There was a hole the size of quarter in both of her hands. Shadow grunted trying to regain her composer. Blood dripped down from her hands but stopped a few inches from the ground.

It seemed like everyone had stopped breathing. Shadow looked straight at Super Boy. She began to curl her fingers slowly. The blood rose up towards Shadow and circled her body. She had a vortex of blood surrounding her. She raised her right hand to her face and looked Super Boy in the eyes through the hole.

The blood became ropes and shot towards Super Boy. He could not believe what she had just done. He jumped to his left hoping to dodge her hit. The blood ropes grabbed him by the ankles and brought him up fifteen feet. He struggled to get free. He used his heat vision directing it towards the blood around his ankles. The blood bubbled and become hot but did not loosen.

This was a power that Shadow felt proud of. She had gained it when the circus went to Japan one summer after Nightwing had left, she learned all about the Branch of Sin from a very nice boy. Shadow smiled then laughed at the memory.

"God damn it." Super Boy grunted. "What the hell is this?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She grinned.

Super Boy had managed to get a hold of the blood ropes and pulled himself towards Shadow. She threw him back down to the Earth. He landed with a hard thump. He laid there a moment weighing his option for an attack. She only seemed to have a motion range of fifteen feet.

Super Boy shot up in the sky hovering over her trying to avoid the blood ropes.  
_What kind of power is that, manipulating blood? That's disturbing._ Super Boy thought to himself.

He looked down again at Shadow and she looked up and gave him a wicked smile. Her hands began to twist; her fingers looked as if she were conducting an orchestra. She straightened her arms toward Super Boy, which sent blood spikes right at him, he dodge them easily, they were too big not to. He flew right at Shadow ready to end this with one final blow.

Shadow saw him coming, she shot another spike, and brought the other two back. He dodged the one coming at him. The other two had become smaller, like stakes. They struck him in his left shoulder and near his knee. He was taken off guard by the stakes coming behind them. Super Boy landed on the fencing around the circle.

"Conner!" Miss Martian ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

Super Boy sat up. "He's fine, I didn't hit him." Shadow said taking deep breaths and looking a little pale. Her hands were still bleeding. She wobbled over to them and smiled.

"She's right, my shirt and pants are ripped, and she pinned me down with those." Super Boy noticed the stakes and spikes where now liquid instead of solid." What was that anyway, I've never seen anything like it before?"

By this time, the whole team had gathered around waiting to hear what they had just seen.

"It's called Branch of Sin. I picked it up about ten years ago in Japan." Shadow said. She smiled one last time before she collapsed with anemia.

"Nightwing." The team turned to face Batman and Superman. "Get Shadow into the house and wrap her hands, the rest of you meet in the barn and wait for further instructions." Batman walked off.

"Well this looks like it was one hell of a fight. I haven't seen Shadow for a while now. My how she's grown." Superman said, helping up Super Boy.

"You know her?" Super Boy said.

"Yes very well actually. I was the one who brought her up. Well, when she wasn't putting shows on for the circus or traveling the world with her team."

Nightwing had never seen Shadow fight like that before. He could see the fire in her eyes, when she stabbed her hands. Nightwing tore off a piece of Super Boy's already ripped pants and wrapped Shadow's hands. He picked her seemingly lifeless body off the ground and carried her upstairs to her room.

By the time he got there, her hands had stopped bleeding. He took the cloth off and was shocked. Her healing powers had already taken over. The holes were gone, the only thing left was a light pink coloring. He took off her shoes. Noticing for the first time that she was covered on small scars all over her arms and legs. He laid her down on her bed. Nightwing began to pull the covers up when he noticed something on her hip, he lifted her shirt a bit. It was a tattoo he couldn't tell what language it was.

მხოლოდ სიღრმეებში ჯოჯოხეთი

Nightwing studied for a few more moments then pulled her covers up the rest of the way.

* * *

Shadow woke up to find a sleeping Nightwing in a chair at the end of her bed. She smiled. It brought back good memories of when they were little, sneaking up to the top of the train at night to count the stars until they fell asleep. She knew that those days were long in the past and would be better off staying there.

Nightwing was snoring. It made Shadow laugh. "Come on, Sleepy it's time to wake up". She stood up slowly, feeling dizzy. She wrapped her arms around Nightwing's neck, kissed him softly on the cheek, and whispered. "I missed you."

Shadow walked down the stairs to find Batman and Superman sitting at the bar. "So what are you two boys talking about? I heard you and a few others are going to trail soon." She said. It was nearly noon; she had been sleeping for over three hours. Shadow grabbed an apple and took a bite.

"Well, hello there little lady, feeling better?" Superman asked.

Shadow laughed, _just like old times_. She thought. "Yes, much better.

Batman had been waiting since last night to talk to her. "We are leaving in a few hours. You know what you have to do now, right?"

" The whole League is about to learn about Shadow, aren't they?" Shadow said leaning against the counter. "I'm putting myself into the open."

" Ah, an invitation I see, so who are we expecting?" Superman said.

Shadow looked out the window." More like 'what' are we expecting."

* * *

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS BUT NO ANSWERS!

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~My Light of Life


	3. Shadow's Story

AGES

Shadow- 18

NW- 19

Batgirl- 18

Aqualad- 21

BB- 13

Blue- 16

Bee- 20

Impulse- 13

KF- 21

MM- 18

Robin- 14

Superboy- looks 16, is 6, but celebrates a 21 bday

Wonder Girl- 14

Tigress/Artemis-20

Lagoon Boy- 17

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 3- Shadow's Story

Shadow walked out of the house and toward the barn, it was time. She was ready; she had showered, eaten, and now stood in front of Nightwing's team.

"I am Shadow, as many of you know." She wasn't good with speeches, especially with a big crowd like this." First things first let us get rumors and facts straight. I was born October 31, 1416. My mother was an immortal witch, and my father was a osmosian."

" So you're like what, 600 years old, damn you look hot for your age." Impulse said. "Yah never heard of you."

" That's because she doesn't exist." Nightwing walked up to the front and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Shadow is the founder of the Justice League. Throughout the centuries, Shadow has lived in secret learning and obtaining a variety of powers. The League has kept her a secret for her safety and her teams."

" My team consists...consisted of five men, whom I chose to serve and protect me. I made them immortal."

" If you made them immortal then how are they dead?" Super Boy asked.

"That's what stumps me. They were killed hundreds of times before, and would come back to life within hours. However, this time something went wrong, the ones that killed them, knew they were immortal they were ready, and we were not. My team", Shadow walked over to a bulletin board.

"Vicken, Sylas, Apollo, Heath, and Axel. Shadow said pointing at five pictures. The men looked to be in their early twenties. "Sylas was the first of the five to become immortal in 1438. After that, I would pick men that I thought would do the job. Vicken became one in 1500, Apollo in 1593, Heath in 1872, and Axel in 1923 they all died in an... explosion over a week ago. The first time I met them I was seven. Superman introduced me when I was still in circus business. After that, I spent most of my time with them training. By the time I was 14 we were traveling and creating places for us as well as the rest of the League to stay and use as a central base. As my team and I came to find out some of them had been destroyed. We found some kind of explosive device or so we thought. I have a few theories as to what type of weapon they use."

Shadow took out a small round black disk and tossed it a few feet in front of the group. It landed, and then a projector type light shot up from it and showed a hologram of the Earth. "They created a type of device which allows them to enter anything and cause an explosion. At first glance it looked like faulty wire." As she said this almost 100 red and black dots showed up on the hologram. "The red dots were all the places I have been in the past two years. The black are were the new group has been."

" They've been after you for two years? Why would you wait 'til now to say anything?" Blue Beetle asked walking toward the front of the team.

"Yeah, with all of the rumors we've heard of you and your team, most of the League knew you were real, but no one had any solid evidence." Robin said, from behind Blue Beetle.

"Um... my team and I weren't suppose to contact anyone and we worked better alone."

" So, you're like reincarnated? How does that like work exactly?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I...um...well you see it's...um." Shadow struggled to find the right words.

"We know all that we need to, to get started." Nightwing said coming to Shadow's rescue. "We'll split up into three teams. Miss Martian, and Blue Beetle you take Beast Boy, go back to the convenience store that was hit and see what you can find. Robin, Super Boy, Impulse you are going to Moscow there'll you'll find the first place that was blown. Lagoon Boy, Bumblebee, Bat Girl and Wonder Girl, you will stay here with Shadow and track the rest of the explosions." Shadow looked at Nightwing; she was shocked at how calm he was. Nightwing turned and looked at her. "We need to talk later." He whispered in Shadow's ear before walking out of the barn followed by Kid Flash.

The team dispersed going to their assigned locations. "So you're the infamous Shadow that we've heard so much about." Lagoon Boy said.

Shadow smiled weakly. "The one and only, in the flesh."

The five teens got to work, creating a timeline of when and what was destroyed starting with Moscow and ending at the convenience store last night. Miss Martian's group came back a few hours later, while Super Boy's team had just landed. It was getting dark and the team was growing restless.

"Um okay guys I think we should call it a day for now. You should get some sleep. We'll pick up on things in the morning." Shadow said not looking up from her computer screen. The team was glad and headed towards their respectful homes.

Shadow stood up and walked over to the bulletin board with her teammates on it. She looked at each one carefully, not wanting to forget anything about them. She loved them all. From Vicken's devilish smile to Heath's and Apollo's incapability to agree on anything. Shadow smiled at the thought of Heath's calm and collective tone while Apollo would yell as the augured once again. Shadow came to look at Sylas' and Axel's picture. Her first and last. Sylas was always too serious and took nothing for granted, barely trusting any of them, while Axel had always been there to make her smile and laugh when things would get ruff. He reminded her so much of Nightwing, that's why she became so close to Axel.

Shadow saw Nightwing out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning on the door in a t-shirt and shorts. He turned around and the door closed behind him. Shadow knew that it was 'later' and he wanted to talk. She walked out leaving her team's photos untouched.

* * *

This Chapter is a little short than the first two, but this is how long most of them are! The time frame for this story is somewhere between after Blue is taken back and before The Reach is kicked off Earth, it will be explained in later chapters.

I update every Sunday and Thursday!

READ&REVIEW! THANKS!

~My Light of Life


	4. A Midnight's Dream

Hey everyone, THANKS for the reviews!

Here's Chapter 4!

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 4- A Midnights Dream

Shadow opened the door, into a cool summer's night. Nightwing was nowhere to found. She heard a noise coming from the roof. Shadow flew up and found an observation deck on top of the barn. Nightwing was looking up at the stars. She landed beside him and sighed. "This brings back old memories, doesn't it?"

"We will find out who did this. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Shadow knew he would never leave her again that's why she would leave him this time."I know what Batman asked of you to do in order for me to stay, the ' catch' as you call it, and I won't agree to it. I can't I made a promise I'd never use it like that again."

"I knew you would figure it out, but just think about it, you could be part of a team."

Shadow frowned she threw her arms in the air with disgust. "Team? What team? My team is dead, for good this time. I have watched my men die hundreds of time before knowing that they will come back to me, but seeing them die for good. HA! That would make anyone go crazy!" Shadow's eyes became wild. "I've lived for over 600 years and each time I'm reincarnated something changes in me, something insane something dark this is the tenth time, and the only time I've fal..."Shadow couldn't bring herself to say it. She looked down. "I watched my team die, one minute they were there the next, they were all over the walls and me."

Nightwing raised his hand and placed it over hers on the railing. "I know how you feel."

"No you don't you've never watched people you love die before your eyes." Shadow regretted what she said. Of course he had seen loved one die, he watched his parents fall to their deaths. "Nightwing...I didn't mean that."

"I know what you meant. It was a long time ago, it's in the past."

"No it's not, I let them die." Shadow slammed her fist down. "I should have done more. It's my fault all of it was, everything is my fault."

"It's not we found the man responsible for their deaths. It was Zucco, he was a big time mob boss. He wanted money from the circus. Of course Haly didn't budge, but I caught him, Bruce didn't want me growing up like he did. The drive that keeps him going is vengeance, he's willing to give anything. I couldn't do that."

"Nightwing, I was the one who talked to Zucco."

Nightwing looked at her shocked. "What?"

"I didn't know who he was. I thought he was just a bystander, someone there for the show. He asked me some questions about your act and I told him." Shadow admitted.

"You were too young, you didn't know better. It's not your fault."

Shadow was beyond pissed. "Ha! You said it again, those four goddamn words. They seem to follow me everywhere! I watched my team die! My team! They didn't die in an explosion they were the explosion! The people we're dealing with here are not to be taken lightly! It is my fault, everyone I love dies! And what do I do about it, absolutely nothing! We have no clues where or who the hell these people are! Shadow slumped to the ground, dangling her legs over the edge between the railing.

Nightwing joined her. "That doesn't matter, I've dug my way out of deep holes plenty of times."

"Yah, bet you had your team with you though." Shadow looked off at the horizon.

Nightwing looked at Shadow.

The girl he grew up with, the girl he left, and the woman he found.

"I think I remember a few times, back at the circus when we would stick our asses into no good. We always came out unscathed." He said trying to lighten the mood.

Shadow smiled. "Yah, like the time we were left in Panama because, we wanted to go swimming."

"And it took you three hours to teleport us back on the train."

Shadow laughed. "Your parents were so mad when made it back. We were both on shit duty for a month after that." She laid down looking at the stars. "Life was so easy back then."

Nightwing looked down at Shadow. "I never asked you if you ever finished your act? You worked hard on it and I wasn't there to see it."

"You mean my magic tricks?"

"Yeah."

"When you left, I drove myself into a runt. I worked, cleaned, ate and slept. My act became really big, I even had my team in a few. I could do anything I wanted and the crowd believed it was a trick. The perfect cover up."

They were silent for a few minutes. The crickets chirped, making a relaxing sound that the two teens took in. Nightwing broke the silence. "Have you seen your mother recently?"

Shadow didn't answer right away. "No." Nightwing knew not to question her on her mother. She never wanted Shadow, in the first place. They were both immortal in their own way. "The last time I saw her was 1924, she killed Axel and Apollo." Shadow stood up and brushed herself off. She held her hand out for Nightwing. He took it and stood too.

"Tell me something"

"What do you want to know?"

"Are you okay, I mean really okay?"

Shadow turned away, she couldn't look at him. "Yes, I'm fine." Nightwing knew she was lying, she could never keep many secrets to herself.

She began to walk off when Nightwing grabbed her hand again and pulled her into a hug. His strong arms around her delicate frame. "I just want all of this to be over." Shadow's voice was barely audible from Nightwing's shoulder.

"I know we'll figure this out."

They stood like that for a while longer then Shadow pulled away. She stepped back and looked up at Nightwing. "We should probably get some sleep, we have an early morning." They walked to the house together.

"Promise me something.''

"Yeah sure anything, whats on your mind?"

Shadow studied him for a moment. "What ever happens, happens, no regrets, no tears and no heartache. Okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

Shadow smiled and turned towards her room. She took off her clothes and threw on a long t-shirt with KISS on the front. She climbed into bed, trying to remember the good times her and Nightwing had in the past. He didn't know it but Shadow had kept up with him since he knew what he was capable of and why he was so nervous about being team leader. In this lifetime, this lifetime was the only one where Shadow really knew what a real family was like and what true love was. This lifetime was the only one where Shadow really felt needed, felt love or what she believed was love for someone.

* * *

He stood outside her door, with his hand inches from knocking. _She's probably already asleep. I shouldnt bother her. he thought._

Nightwing checked all the doors and windows, kicking himself for not knocking his thoughts were interrupted, when his phone rang, it was Super Boy, and he was pissed.

"IT WAS A SET UP!" Super Boy shouted. Then the line went dead.

* * *

This was kinda a low key chapter, but next chapter you will find out more about Shadow's team!

I would like to make a shout out to **piggythelaw**. If you like the blood fight, watch Deadman's Wonderland and When they Cry! (I own neither but have watched both.)

UNTIL THURSDAY!

~My Light Of Life


	5. The Secrets Lurking In Moscow

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 5- The Secret Lurking in Moscow

Shadow had just closed her eyes when she heard a knock on her door. She groaned. Shadow opened the door, to find Nightwing in his uniform and a com in his ear talking fast to a frantic sounding Robin. "What's going on." Shadow could hear the distress in his voice. She put on a pair of jeans and followed Nightwing as he walked down the stairs where the rest of the team was waiting.

"Miss Martian, take Wonder Girl, and Blue Beetle, in the ship and head towards this location." Nightwing explained handing Miss Martian a tracking device. "Bumblebee, and Lagoon Boy will head to the Watchtower and get some eyes over Moscow. The rest of you stay on high and be ready." The two teams split and went their separate ways.

"Nightwing what the hell is going on, why are they going to Russia?!" It seemed to Shadow that she was the last to know about their current situation.

Nightwing looked calm and collective, but she could sense that he wasn't. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside. "It was a setup. They knew we were coming."

"Who? Nightwing what is going on?"

"Shadow did you or did you not know about this."

"Know about what? The setup? No way! I would never do that. Answer me! What the hell is going on?"

"Shadow,there was another explosion, Superboy called to check in and I heard it. The line went dead. Robin just called and said they were in the same place where your old hideout used to be. They found an underground bunker. Super Boy went in, they think he's trapped. But two other buildings have been destroyed."

Shadow stood there for a moment taking in what he had said. "That can't be why would they destroy it aga...unless." Shadow's eyes grew wide with fear. "We have get to Superboy as fast as possible."

"What's in the bunker?" Nightwing questioned. He stepped in front of her blocking her path.

" You really want to do this now! God damnit, Nightwing move!" Shadow knew he wouldn't so she yelled around him to Bat Girl and Beast Boy. "We're going to get them back don't worry."

"What are you doing?" Nightwing asked. Shadow grabbed his arm and yanked him toward her. Shadow's voice was low. "Just like old times, my ass." Then they vanished.

* * *

Shadow had teleported them to a deserted alleyway. "Are we in Moscow" Nightwing said steadying himself.

"Yes."

"Superboy's tracker is close." Nightwing took of in the direction of Superboy, Shadow right behind him.

"You have trackers on your teammates?" Shadow asked.

"Yes of course. Didn't you?"

"No. That's ridiculous, we all trusted each other." Shadow didn't like this, something felt off. They walked toward a crowd that had gathered. The police attempted to keep the bystanders back.

" Вы не можете выйти за пределы этой точке вы должны остаться назад." A police officer was keeping Nightwing from crossing.

"Мы с Лигой Справедливости." Shadow told the police officer and he let them through.

"You speak Russian?" Nightwing had picked up a few words but could never hold a conversation.

"I can speak thirty-four different languages, which way." Shadow was anxious to find Super Boy, the bunker could only prove her theory true.

_So then, what language is your tattoo in?_ Nightwing thought.

"Hey, guys over here." Robin waved them over. "Superboy went in through the first floor door to see if he could find anything. He reported, that the second floor was completely destroyed and there was a hidden door leading down. That's when the com went dead and we heard the explosion."

"I could phase through it." Impulse said.

"Damn it. No you can't you won't survive it." Shadow walked towards the fallen building. "I'll be back with Superboy, just wait here."

"No, I'm going with you." Nightwing looked at her. "You're not going in there alone."

"I said stay here, I'll get him back." Shadow turned around to face him. "You can't go in there. You will die."

"Then why do you want to go in there?"

"Because I'm not human, that's why! You are, so shut up and let me work. This is my territory now." With that she disappeared.

Nightwing was dumbfounded. Shadow had never acted this way. Maybe she was right. "She's going off the deep end faster than I thought." He said aloud.

Shadow coughed from the dust in the air. Someone came up behind her and had her in a headlock. "Superboy it's me, Shadow." She said, he let go and Shadow coughed some more. "How did you get in here, this place is supposed to be sealed."

"I could ask you the same question. What do you mean it's sealed?"

"It's an ancient spell, my mother created." She spat out the words as if they were poison. "My team, each of us had a bunker, we could do and put anything we wanted in it. No one else could get inside, if humans tried they would instantly die. If any nonhuman creature tried they would be rendered unconscious." Shadow explained. She whipped her hand in the air and the dust settled, letting them see more clearly.

One of the walls was covered with old looking maps with push pins all over and string connecting some to each other. Another had pictures of Shadow, from all different time periods, along with the rest of her teams photos. But the other two walls were the most disturbing, there was at least fifty different men whose pictures covered the walls from ceiling to floor. "What is this place, what kind of work do you do?" Super Boy asked Shadow.

She walked up to the wall with her photos on it. "This was Axel's bunker. He was the artist in the group."

"Who are all these men?" The pictures were taken at odd angles, the men looked as if they were asleep. Superboy's eyes grew wide. "These men are dead, aren't they?"

"Yes they are."

"Why, they look human, are they?"

Shadow laughed "Of course they are, that's why I chose Axel. The way he killed was so thrilling and clever."

"Your telling me that your so called team were a bunch of mass murder lunatics?"

Shadow shook her head. " His sister was raped and killed by a child molester when he was 19, she was only 13. That's when he began to track and kill anyone who had been charged with child molest."

"Who are your teammates as you call them anyway, tell me who they are."

"It's 'were', not 'are' past tense. We called ourselves a coven, team just didn't sound right. After I made one of them immortal they chose a place for their own bunker. The rest of us knew where it was but no one else could access it, not even me. But my guess is that since there dead the spell has worn off now that there presence no longer here."

"You chose them on how they killed?" Superboy was disgusted by that fact, but also admired her for it. Taking in the most skilled no matter how bad they were.

"Not exactly. Do you see a computer anywhere." Shadow was looking for something, she had been digging around in piles of papers. "There has to be something here. Help me look"

Superboy looked at Shadow for a few seconds and gave in, he was too curious "Fine, but you have to answer all the questions I ask."

"Yeah, yeah but no promises."

They began to separate the thousands of papers that Axel had. "If you chose Axel for his M.O. what about the rest of them?" Superboy asked motioning toward a picture of the six of them.

Shadow wasn't up for answering questions about her past. But he was cooperating so she obliged. "They each had there own certain abilities that drew me in. They each brought something different."

Super Boy wasn't surprised that's all she said. He continued looking around until he came upon a laptop. "I think I found something." He said handing it to Shadow.

Shadow took it. "That'll do, now let's get out of here." Shadow stood up and turned towards the wall with her pictures on it, she looked at them one last time and sighed. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. Shadow took Superboy's arm and was gone.

* * *

sorry if my translations are off, if they are blame google

READ&REVIEW

~My Light Of Light


	6. What Happens In New Orleans Never Stays

HELLO EVERYONE! Here is chapter 6! Thanks for the reviews!

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

* * *

Chapter 6- What Happens in New Orleans Never Stays

Nightwing was pacing when they appeared. "Where the hell have you two been. You were down there for a half-hour."

" We're fine." Superboy said to Nightwing. "We found something that you might find interesting."

Shadow handed Nightwing the laptop. "You better let the rest of the team know that we're all fine."

Nightwing took the laptop and turned talking to the rest of the team through the com. "Everyone head back to the Kent's house, we found something".

Shadow walked around the building remembering the first time she met Axel.

* * *

New Orleans - Delmonico's Restaurant - January 1, 1920

The Senate was still in a heated debate about banning alcohol. While they still could Delmonico's was celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary.

"Come on guys hurry up, this is going to be crazy." Shadow said. She was wearing the newest flapper dress; it was black with sliver trim. She was dancing in the street with Apollo, while the rest of her coven lagged behind.

"Are you seriously going along with this?" Vicken asked Sylas.

"We have to, I think she's looking for something."

"She is there is someone here that she is looking for."

The two men turned to look behind them. "I don't know who it is, so let's all stay on high alert." Heath said, looking at the two of them dance.

They entered the restaurant, it was packed. Shadow frowned. "We're not going to get a table. Now what?"

"We'll just sit at the bar, wait here." Vicken said. He walked over to the bar and talked to the man standing behind it. They exchanged chitchat for a while. The man kept shaking his head, then Vicken's devilish smile appeared and the man shook his head yes. Vicken waved them over. Shadow smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The man served them Delmonico's best bourbon. He was tall at least 6"4' with curly sandy brown hair, and deep green eyes, he smiled when he noticed Shadow eyeing him.

"The first round is on the house." The barman said. "You from around here?"

"No" Sylas said bluntly.

"Ignore him his just cranky, what's your name buddy?" Shadow asked leaning closer to him.

"The name's Axel." He said leaning towards Shadow. "And what's yours little lady."

"Well that's for me to know and for you to more or less find out". Shadow played with his tie, they both laughed.

The Coven knew what was coming. They all eyed each other, then got up, and left, walking around to the back of the building. "What time do you get off?"

"Midnight, what do you have in store?"

Shadow knew who he was and what he had, she just wanted something interesting to do." Great, meet me out back." And with that she turned and left.

Shadow found her Coven leaning against the wall, sulking. "Oh, stop it. He has killed before. I just want something new. Is that so bad?"

" You plan to make him one of us? You don't even know this guy." Heath turned and kicked some trash in the street. "You said I was your last."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I say that all the time. But think about an actual human in the Coven. Just think about!"

"I think it would be interesting to have a pure blood human for once."

"Thank you, Apollo. See you should listen to him." Shadow said eyeing the rest of her Coven.

" And...here...we...go." Vicken pointed to the back door, as it swung open and out walked Axel.

"You always travel with those men?" Axel asked.

"Do you always agree to meet strange women." Sylas countered.

"Ha yah, Sy you're the one to talk." Apollo laughed.

"Hush, both of you." Shadow flung her hand back motioning them to be quiet. "I was just wondering if you had seen a friend of mine, he's kind of a dick."

" Well what does he look like?" Axel asked. He looked behind her at the men standing almost at attention. Who is this girl? He thought.

"Here's a sketch of him, his wife reported him missing about a week ago. The police think he's dead, but I have a feeling that he's not. Do you have any ideas?"

Axel took the sketch and looked at it; a flicker of recognition passed through his eyes. "Yah I might have seen him a few times at the bar before. Are you guys the Fed or something."

"Or something." Apollo said.

"Will you shut up, might as well tell the guy our whole damn life story." Heath glared at Apollo.

"Geez back off, if she's planning on doing it then we better get him caught up on the past centuries." Apollo shot back.

"Vicken!" Shadow said cruelly.

"I'm on it." Vicken look at the two men still bickering, his devilish smile appeared, and Heath and Apollo were no more than three feet tall. They were children.

"What the hell, who are you people?" Axel backed away only he backed into Sylas.

"Now sweetheart, we aren't going to hurt you, I would just like to know where you do your darkest deed."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what she's talking about, don't deny it." Sylas said.

"I want to know how you kill."

Axel smiled, a crimson type of smile. "This way." He said taking Shadow's hand.

* * *

"Shadow, yo earth to Shadow." Wonder Girl waved her hand in Shadow's face. "Let's go I wanna sleep"

Shadow shook her head as if that would make the memory disappear. She couldn't believe this. Her team was actually gone. They weren't coming back. That was never supposed to happen.

"Is the bunker safe to go in?" Nightwing asked. He had been watching her, she stood there staring into the ruins. "We should diagram the room."

"Huh what." Shadow was distracted. "Uh yah that's fine, there was a spell on it that would protect it and basically kill anyone who tried to enter it. But it wore off, now that he is... that their... dead." Shadow began to cry. She had held it in long enough. Nightwing reached for her, but she pushed him away and vanished.

* * *

AHHH the first flashback to her Coven! WOOT!

UNTIL THURSDAY!

READ&REVIEW!

~My Light Of Life


	7. Murder By The Sea

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 5- Murder By The Sea

"I knew you would be here."

She was laying down with her legs dangling over the edge of the cliff. "White Cliffs of Dover stretch east and west from the town of Dover in the British county of Kent. They say it can be seen across the English Channel from France."

Nightwing smiled. "You never seize to amaze me." He stopped a few yards from the edge. "What is it with this place?"

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"You came here when you were six after you told me about your past. Then again when you were eight after my parents...your strong, I know you. You can get through anything."

"That still doesn't answer my question." She sat up and threw a rock over the edge, never hearing the splash that would come.

"You found this place when you were five years old." Nightwing laughed. "You were so excited to show me, you ended up teleporting us ten feet off the edge.

" That wasn't funny, I had nightmares for weeks." Shadow stood and turned to face Nightwing. "Did you find anything on the laptop?"

" We did, it seems that Axel started killing when he was nineteen but the killings abruptly stopped four years later. No one ever solved them."

Shadow turned and looked down over the cliffs. She was tired and wanted to go home. "The bodies were never discovered. I couldn't have the cops on my ass, couldn't afford it." Shadow never told Super Boy the rest of the story, she never told anyone.

"When I found Axel he was so far gone, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bring him back. The night my Coven and I met him, I watched him torture and kill a man. Axel ripped out all his fingernails, hammered screws into his hands, cut him all over, and then left him. The man bled to death. To be cut like that it would take almost three hours to bleed out." Shadow turned again to look at Nightwing. "Do you know what it's like to wait for death, never knowing when it will come."

" I don't."

" After that, I... helped him. We found child molesters, captured, tortured, and then left to die. Four years later, I... told Axel everything. He didn't think we were crazy." Shadow threw her head back and laughed. "He was insane, hell we all were. I turned him immortal, the coven didn't really want a human, but they warmed up to him."

" Shadow that wasn't you, it's been almost a hundred years since then." Nightwing dared to step closer towards Shadow, towards the edge.

"How can you say that! It is me! Richard it's me!" Nightwing winced. She was the only one who ever called him that. "I've been alive since 1416, I remember everything since the day I was born! When I die, the curse repeats itself. My mother becomes pregnant once again, she hates it! The curse that she, we have together is all because of her! She killed my father, the man she used to love. I saw it all. The final spell that killed my father, rebounded and hit me instead. I didn't know the effects of it until I was killed. My own mother didn't understand it! I die she becomes pregnant the following Halloween." Shadow began to pace back and forth on the cliffs edge. "But she's an immortal witch, so she casts a time spell, speeds the process up, then dumps me somewhere. It takes the Coven awhile to find me. I don't have my full memories until I'm five!"

"Last time she left you with Hal. You were great, everyone loved you. You had a real family."

Shadow smirked. "'Had', key word there. I cannot go back to that life, it's not me. I'm going to find out who murdered my men. Then I'm leaving."

Shadow turned east and saw the sun beginning to rise. Nightwing stood there speechless, he didn't want her to leave. "You can't leave I just got you back."

"No, you didn't that girl you knew ten years ago that's not me." Shadow didn't look at him. "Let's go, I'll meet you back at Clark's house." Shadow studied Nightwing, looking him up and down for a moment.

"What?"

"Did I say anything?"

"No, but you're eyeing me funny."

Shadow looked down at the water below. "How far do you think it is?"

"I don't know, 300 feet."

She smiled. "Well my naive friend, I'd say it was at least 350." And with that she winked at Richard, spread her arms and fell off the cliff.

Nightwing's eyes grew wide. "SHADOW!" But she was already gone.

AT THE KENT'S HOUSE

"Is Shadow here?" Nightwing said walking into the barn.

"Were over here." Super Boy said. He was standing behind Shadow who was staring at the laptop screen. They had both changed, he was wearing black shorts and a white tank, while she had on a white shorts and a black tank top. "You guys look like an old fashion diner floor." Nightwing said walking over to them.

"Yeah, that's great come look at this. It looks like Axel kept a journal of some sort." Shadow clicked on a document.

"Did I just hear you right?" Super Boy gave Nightwing a strange look. Nightwing smiled sheepishly. "You've spent to must time with the rookies." Super Boy said moving over so Nightwing could see the screen.

"What am I looking at?"

The screen had black and white strange looking symbols, in a straight line, like sentences in a paragraph. "I think it's some kind of code." Super Boy said.

"No, I don't think so Axel liked puzzles and art not so much code breaking that was Heath." Shadow grinned.

"If it is a puzzle or a code, that means Axel did it for as reason. He knew someone would find it one day. When was the last entry updated?" Nightwing asked.

Shadow moved the cursor and showed the desktop. She clicked on the recent documents.. "Oh my God, he updated all his journal everything the night he died. Do you know what that means?" Shadow was putting two and two together thinking of a way to explain it so her new friends would understand. "This was the last document that he wrote in." Shadow pulled up a word document.

"You care to enlighten us" Super Boy said.

"Nightwing can you put this on the smart screen?" Shadow stood up so Nightwing could sit down.

"Uh, yes." Nightwing plunged in a chord and clicked somethings, then the strange lettering appeared on the large screen in front of Shadow.

She stared at the screen for almost ten minutes. The two men looked at her, wondering if she would say something or if they should.

"You guys do realize I can hear everything you think, right."

"Well don't, that's invasion of privacy." Super Boy leaned against the wall.

"Yeah, whatever y'all think to loud. Anyway he opened all his documents the night he died."

"You said that already. Get to the point."

Shadow glared at Super Boy. "It means he knew something, he knew he wasn't coming back anytime soon. So he made his whole laptop one giant puzzle."

"Okay, that's a start but, we need to figure out what all this says." Nightwing explained.

"I was always the only one that could figure his puzzles out, the others either didn't want to or didn't know how. Wait a sec, look at the black lines they are spaced differently after two."Shadow's eyes grew wide. "That's it! Look at the white between each black symbol. They form a letter!"

"So the first word says." Nightwing was filling in the spaces. "The first few words are..."

"Two. The youngest is the best. The rejected comes to play. The prey come to coward. The forgotten is to remember. Five." Shadow read the the words taking them all in.

"Great, so he talked in riddles, were never going to figure this out." Super Boy sulked.

"No we will, we just have to think like Axel would. The youngest is the best. That could be Axel he was my last, and he is technically the youngest in the group. But the rest I'm not sure, we were never rejected, the prey or crying."

"What kind of powers did the rest of your Coven have?" Nightwing asked.

"Heath could sense things and alter time for people you know like see the future, read auras and.."

"Prey?" Super Boy was thinking. "Were you hunting anything when they died?"

"No, we were the prey, the people with those special bombs were hunting us."

"You said Axel liked riddles and puzzles and all that shit, so thinking like he would, he wouldn't make it this obvious. When you figured out his other riddles in the past, what were they normally like?" Super Boy walked towards Shadow.

"The last one I did, you had to use a mirror, to you read it. But it was in about four different languages. Why, you think there's a pattern?"

"When you put letters in front of a mirror there backwards right?"

"Super Boy, where are you going with this?" Shadow looked at Nightwing for help.

"Backwards...forwards...same...OPPOSITES! That's it."

Shadow and Super Boy both looked at Nightwing. "What?" They said in unison.

"There opposites, look at them again but read the opposite of what it's saying, and two and five that must be the words that you have two change. The second and fifth word." Nightwing looked ecstatic.

"So, the oldest is the worst. The accepted comes to...what's the opposite of play?" Shadow asked the guys.

"Rest, maybe stop?" Nightwing offered.

"Work." Kid Flash said walking into the barn.

The three of them turned to look at him. Wallie grinned. "What I can't help my oldest pals out?" No one said anything for a few seconds.

"Um, so... am I aloud to ask a question?" Shadow didn't wait for an answer. "Why are you here? You quite, and what was with that stunt you pulled the other day? There's no way in hell you're that out of shape."

"I was just here to meet you, Dick offered me a spot in training, and I figured what the hell?"

"Uh, huh. Anyway, work yes that sounds right."

Nightwing eyed KF, he was the only be who knew about Shadow. Nightwing had told him some time after they meet.

Shadow ignored the stare down between the two men. "The accepted comes to work. The hunter comes to fight. The remembered is to forget. I still don't get it!" Shadow slammed her hand down no the table. "Damn it!" She grumbled under he breath.

The three men stood and waited, not wanting to interrupt her fit.

"We just need to think this through. Let's start from the beginning." Shadow said walking over to the bulletin board with her men on it. "There's something here. We're missing something. If the oldest is the worse? Could that mean you had something to do with it." Shadow touched Heath's picture. "Heath was 26 when I turned him, the oldest of the five. I met him in 1872, Hamburg, Germany. He was a pianist. Sylas, Vicken, Apollo and myself went to the Hamburgische Staatsoper. It's German for Hamburg State Opera House. He knew we were there the whole time. Heath looked in you, never at you. And that's exactly what he did to me that night, what he did to all of us." Shadow hugged herself thinking back to that night.

* * *

AH! And the beginning of yet another flashback.

UNTIL SUNDAY!

READ&REVIEW!

~My Light Of Life


	8. Visions Of The Past

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II! SHES 87!

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Light

* * *

Chapter 8- Visions Of The Past

Hamburg, Germany 1872

"Do we honestly have to sit here for four hours?" Apollo asked. "Why do I put up with this ludicrous. I would rather go find out who murdered those children."

"Apollo!" Shadow whispered harshly. "Sit down, now!"

"Hey, newbie listen to what she says unless you want to be punished." Vicken grabbed Apollo's wrist and jerked him back into his seat.

The oil lamps and torches were put out around the audience, while more lit up around the stage. "If you can sit here without making a sound through this, I will let choose what we do tonight." Shadow whispered in Apollo's ear. He grinned and was not heard from for the rest of night.

Shadow was not too thrilled with the first two performers. A harpist from Paris and a soprano from some weird town out west. But then a blonde man with bright blue eyes walked on stage. He wore what looked like a riding outfit. The crowd murmured, questioning why someone so under dressed would be allowed on stage. He turned to the crowd and locked eyes with Shadow. She shifted in her seat. The man bowed and took his place at the piano. The music started. Shadow fell into a trance. Feeling the piece, she closed her eyes. When she opened them, again the audience had left and her Coven was looking at her.

"I sat there a listened, and you're allowed to sleep? There is no way that's fair." Apollo pouted.

"I what?" Shadow jumped out of her chair. "Where's that man?!"

Shadow practically ran towards the stage and climbed up. She walked over to the piano. She ran her fingers along the keys remembering the feeling she had.

"I know you are not what you seem. All of you." The man with the blonde hair and bright blue eyes, walked out onto the stage. "You are not human. No one in this room is a full human."

Sylas and Vicken tensed. A gust of wind went through the room, blowing everyone's clothing. The room seemed to spin; the torches grew to massive size. The room became hot from the heat. The man walked towards Shadow. Shadow could not move, it was as if she was in slow motion.

"SYLAS!" Shadow screamed. Sylas flung his arms into the air, dirt, and vines shot up from the ground wrapping around the blue-eyed man.

"I will not hurt her. I am in love with her." The man said. "I know what you are doing here; you seek to uncover the murderer of those children. I am the person for whom you are looking for."

"We will not hurt you either." Shadow motioned for Sylas to put the man down. "You are the man that killed those children.?"

"Those children, are the reason their homes were burned down. There the reason their parents are dead. They were sociopaths."

"Your telling us that five, nine years olds killed their parents and set their own house on fire?" Apollo walked up towards him from his seat.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. I want to join you."

"You...you're in love with...me?" Shadow stood there dumbfounded as the words finally sunk in.

"I am indeed. I have noticed you for some time now."

"Well now, my new friend. If you're going to be one of us you have many things to learn about our leader. One, no one gets near her unless she says so. Two, we do what she says and when she says got that?" Apollo said draping an arm around the man.

"You smell awfully horrid."

"Get use to it he never showers, he's a dog." Vicken stated.

"Get use to it? What the hell are you two talking about we do not know anything about this man." Sylas was frustrated.

"No, we do." Shadow walked over to him. "I admire what you have done, and if you can prove those children were in fact mentally insane. I will allow you to join us." Shadow said.

* * *

"After that he showed us where he buried the bodies. They barely looked human. It was a horrific scene." Shadow finished her story as the team stood there.

"Do you think Heath knew something about this device?" Nightwing asked.

"I have no idea. He was never interested in technical stuff. His bunker is in the middle of nowhere."

"Where is it? We could head there tomorrow." Kid Flash pulled up the holo-globe. "So what country are we going to next?"

"Australia."

"Nightwing the plans are all set and waiting for the go ahead." Bat Girl came into the barn followed by Wonder Girl.

"Already, damn Aqualad is working fast. When do we need to leave?"

"As soon as possible, the meeting could be at anytime, everyone needs to be ready."

"Yeah and I can't wait to kick The Reaches butt!" Wonder Girl pounded her fist in the air.

"The Reach? Aren't they only allowed to stay on a planet if invited?" Shadow questioned. "Wait, don't tell me, your idiot governments invited them to stay, am I right?"

"That's right you've only been here a month. Yeah well, there like gunna take over world but then The Light got all involved. Ugh it makes my head hurt just thinking about it." Wonder Girl explained.

"If you guys need to handle that I can take this one solo. I'd like to actually."

"No, that is off the table. It's too dangerous." Nightwing looked at Shadow.

"What? I've taken care of myself for a very long time, I think I can handle myself for a few days."

"Nightwing I think you should listen to her. We've been after The Reach for awhile now. It'd be nice to finally finish it. Let her go." Kid Flash put a hand on Nightwing's shoulder.

"Fine."

Everyone but Shadow left the barn, and began prepping for their mission. Shadow smiled, excited to be doing something and hopefully getting somewhere. Shadow grabbed the pictures of her Coven and turned to leave when she bumped into him.

"Shadow." Nightwing rubbed the back of his neck. "Just be careful okay?"

"You are going to give yourself worry lines if you keep this up. I'm the most careful person I know."

"That's what worries me. Just be safe, and don't do anything too crazy."

"Don't I always." And with that Shadow gave Nightwing a wink and disappeared once again.

* * *

Shadow will vanish many times throughout this story. But will she always return?! We will see!

READ&REVIEW!

~My Light Of Light


	9. The Way Of The Caves

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

This is one of my favorite chapters, it is set in my favorite place on Earth!

~My Light Of Light

* * *

Chapter 9- The Way Of The Caves

Shadow landed in Australia 16 hours later. And then another two hours on plane took her to the island. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but she needed to at the least get to the south side before it became too late. Shadow realized she could've teleported to the island but she wanted to experience the sense of flying in an airplane. She had never been in one before. If was quite terrifying, having a giant metal machine fly you around everywhere.

"Ugh, I feel like I've been hit by a truck." Shadow said to herself. She hoisted her pack higher up on her back and walked out of the airport towards the docks.

" Well Miss where are we headed this fine evening?" The boat driver asked. "If you're here by eight tomorrow morning there's a tour of the best scenery around here." The man smiled.

"Um no thank you I just need a lift to the south side. I'm  
meeting my family there." Shadow lied easily.

"There aren't many places over that the people normally  
go to, you sure that's where you're meeting them?"

"Just take me there." She said harshly. Shadow wasn't in the mood to argue.

" Yes ma'am." The driver helped her into the boat  
and started the engine. The breeze felt relaxing and cool on her face. She had never been to Heath's bunker and was quite excited.

The ride lasted almost an hour. Shadow paid and thanked the man. "Will you need a ride back?"

"No, I think I've got that covered. Thanks any way though." Shadow smiled and then stepped off the boat into the water and walked to shore. "We'll lets go see if she's home."

Shadow hiked up through some forest areas and gazed up at a large house hidden well within the treetops. She would have wanted to show Nightwing's team this, but the homeowner would never hear of it.

Built in the mid 1700's the house stood a good 1 feet off the ground and any normal hiker would never notice it, if they weren't looking for it. Shadow had grown up here once in her past.

The grass was tall and wild, with exotic flowers everywhere of all colors. Shadow took a deep breath, breathing in all magnificent smells. Combination of flowers, fruits and...sage? She smiled. "You never change." Shadow turned around and snapped her fingers. A few trees burned instantly and turned to ashes. Revealing an elderly woman. She was holding a stack of burning sage and mumbling to herself.

"There aren't any evil spirits all the way out here, how many times am I going to have to tell you that?" Shadow laughed. "How much sage have you wasted?"

"They are in, even the hidden places in this reality, my dear." The woman put the sage in her knotted grey hair. "You are surrounded by evil, you always have been." The woman turned and walked toward her house with Shadow at her heels.

They arrived at the base of a rather large tree. The woman placed her hand on a knot in the tree. It made some technical sound and a scanner came out from a hole a few feet up. She then placed her sage on it, followed by a few more beeps. The scanner disappeared and the tree rumbled. Opening like a garage door, the tree front swung upward revealing, a staircase leading up to the house.

"We're walking all the way up?"

"Oh no, your very nice young man friends came by here and did something, now it moves!" She looked like a six year old on Christmas morning.

"When did they stop by?" Shadow couldn't remember when her Coven came by for a visit, she would have known about it.

"I don't remember, a few weeks maybe a month ago. They were very nice and charming, you picked a good lot."

The ride up to the house was silent, Shadow wanted to know about her "nice young man friends" stopping by.

_Last month, we weren't even on Earth! Why would they come here?_ Shadow thought. "Um, so do you remember who came and fixed your stairs?"

"Oh there was four of them. They were very nice and charming, you picked a good lot."

"Yeah, so I've heard." Shadow wished she knew what went on in that old women's head. _If four of them came that means one them went somewhere else, but which of the five?_ Shadow was torn from her thoughts when a ding went off and a door opened into a large room.

"Uh, Hazel?"

"Yes, deary. What, do you not like what I've done with the place, your men said it was very fitting for an old women like me." The room looked as if a fashion history book threw a party and the hung over guests never left. There was a long wooden elegant table with seven place settings on it that dated back to at least the sixteenth century. The book shelves that lined the most part of the walls looked like a child's Lincoln Log house. And for a clock there was a giant Lilac Chaser, that Shadow couldn't bare to look at for long. It was making her dizzy.

"Yeah, I love what you've done with the place." Shadow shook her head, placed her bag on the 19th century queen's couch, and slumped into it. Within minutes Shadow was fast asleep.

* * *

"I KILLED THEM ALL" She let out some sort laugh and picked up the knife. Shadow raised the knife above her head and swung it down into her stomach, her chest, her legs. She collapsed to the floor, covered in blood.

Feeling her healing powers kick in, she stood up, and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. "You can't do this to me, I live 'til my heart stops beating, and my lungs are destoryed. And you think you can break me with with something so simple like this? HA! I've killed so many people in my life times, what's a few more, huh! This won't break me, not even the slightest." Shadow walked towards the silhouette of a man...

Shadow woke up screaming.

Hazel was sitting on the coffee table, with a cold rag in her hands. "You started to sweat. You're having nightmares. You're aura has changed drastically, since the last time I saw you. What has changed?"

Shadow sat up, taking deep breaths. "Something awful happened. My men, they were murdered. Slaughtered. I don't remember much from that day. We went to an Independence Day party, the Coven was the big finale, they were the fireworks. This device I believe is micro-technology. It was like they ingested or drank it or something."

"Oh no my dear, come, come here I want to show you something." Hazel stood and took Shadow's hands and lead her to the back room. "Your men did not touch this room, I wouldn't let them and they agreed with me. This is yours, you should change what you'd like."

Shadow hated this room, her idea of changes would be burning in down. The walls were a cream color and the carpet white. The bed spread was black with purple polka dots, there was a small wooden desk and a lamp in the corner and a dresser beside it. It was a windowless room when she lived in it. Shadow had put wood over them, so she wouldn't hear the birds quite as loud. She couldn't bring herself to walk in. Slamming the door, she turned and grabbed her pack.

"I'm heading towards the pyramid, don't wait up, I'm not planning on coming back this way. I'll stop by in a few weeks once I figure this mess out."

"Yes, darling come back anytime you like. And bring some friends for once, I won't be alive forever you know."

Shadow laughed. "Says who? You're 148 but don't look a day over 74."

"Yes deary I may not age as fast because I'm a witch, but that doesn't mean I can't die." Hazel hugged Shadow. "Just come back in one piece, okay?"

"I will don't worry, I have other people that I told I'd come back to."

"Be safe." Hazel gave Shadow the sage from her hair. "Here take this."

"Thanks." She reluctantly took the sage, knowing Hazel would never let her leave without her.

Shadow took one last look at the house, her team had been here. She took the the stairs back down and headed outside. The wind was blowing and the rain was coming down in sheets.

"Damn it." Shadow walked through the rain to the shore line. She placed her pack under a few palm leaves and rocks to keep it dry. Shadow walked into the ocean, then dived in when she got deep enough. She breathed in the water easily. Her journeys throughout her lifetimes had been useful when she ran into someone interesting.

The swim to the pyramid was long and tirering, she loved Heath but could never understand why or even how he thought of this place.

The Ball's Pyramid, standing at a total of 1,844 feet, was Shadow's destination. When she finally reached the shore 20 kilometers later, she was out of breathe and wished Heath hadn't made her put 'curse' on it. The spell wouldn't allow any type of powers to work on the rock. She wasn't to fond of rock climbing, but with her practice in Mongolia to reach the monks she was ready for the free climb.

She slipped, lost her grip and tripped all the up, but she made it to the top, to the cave. The cave mouth was about a 5x5 opening. Shadow walked inside and the atmosphere changed. She lost her sense of direction and seemed to walk in circles.

_Okay stop, just think about this, Heath set this up so that no one could get to his bunker, even though they would've died if they ever found a way to it._ Shadow thought.

"If Heath wanted to find his own bunker how would he do it? What way did he know to get through this." Shadow leaned against the wall thinking. "He loved music and writing, why would he have his bunker all the way out here? Holy shit, that's it, he hated caves Apollo was one that liked them. Apollo would always turn left then right and so on until you found the end!" Shadow made her way back to the entrance then made a left and them a right. She did this for about half an hour. Then she came to am eccentric looking door. She had found it.

Opening the door she found three different pianos. There was no papers, no files, no computers, nothing. She sat down at one of the pianos and dragged her fingers up and down the keys. She noticed the few lowest keys did not work. They could be taken out.

* * *

THE WATCHTOWER- next day

Shadow had just arrived and the team had just given The Reach a kick in their ass. The whole team was there, but the feeling in the room was different then she expected. There was sadness and relief.

Superboy caught her eyes and walked over. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes I did, but I'd like to to give you guys your time. You just saved the world. You're all over the news."

Aqualad came over. "You must be Shadow. I'm glad to finally meet." They shook hands.

"Pleasures all mine."

"I have some good news for you. Nightwing filled me in on your current situation. Superboy and Miss Martian have volunteered to help you finish you're mission."

Miss Martian came over. "Yes, we figured we could help out, now that The Reach is gone things should quiet down for a while."

"Thanks that means a lot" Shadow said. Batman and Superman walked over as the the others walked away.

"We need to talk." Batman said. "Nightwing has taken a leave of absence."

"He...left..." Shadow couldn't breathe.

"You are going to go find him. You lived with the best tracker anyone has every seen for over 400 years." Superman added. Batman glared at him.

"Do whatever you want, figure this out and then I want you gone out of here and back to normal. I made a deal with you back in'96 before you got yourself killed. I would let you do what ever you wanted as long as you didn't bother the actual League, this violates that. I want you gone soon." And with that Batman turned and walked off.

"He...left? Why?"

"We lost Wallie, they founded this team. He was his best friend. I don't blame him for it, we could all use a break. Don't give up on him, he never did on you." Superman squeezed Shadow's arm and smiled before walking away.

Miss Martian and Superboy came over. "When are you planning on leaving?" Miss Martian asked. "I would like to spend the night with Zatanna and Artemis."

"Yes...um...Yeah that's fine, we'll leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Superman and Aqualad agreed to let us use Blüdhaven as a base, for now. The rest of the team are using the Watchetower. I'm heading back to the Kent's house."

"Yeah I'm going back there to, we should all get a well deserved sleep. Everyone just be at the barn by 4 o'clock and we'll head out toward Blüdhaven then. Okay?"

"Yes, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Miss Martian went to get Zatanna and Artemis.

"Are you going back now?" Superboy asked Shadow.

"I am. You want a lift?"

"Sure."

"Let's go then." Shadow took Superboy's arm and transported them to the house.

"So, what did you find in Australia?"

"Huh, oh yeah... they where in a piano."

"What was?" Superboy opened the front door for them.

"Knee caps."

* * *

SCORE! UNTIL SUNDAY!

~My Light Of Light


	10. Desperation

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 10 - Desperation

"Everyone have everything?" Megan asked Shadow and Conner.

"Yeah pretty much." Shadow picked up her skate board, her pack and a small suitcase.

Conner was putting his and Megan's luggage in the car. It was late afternoon, and the rest of the team was already on scouting missions.

"You've never been to Blüdhaven before, it was similar to the mountain but not quite as homey."Megan climbed into the drivers side while Conner took the passenger seat. The car was brand new, Clark wanted to make sure they had a reliable way to get around when looking for Richard. Shadow smiled and climbed into the back.

The drive was quiet in the beginning, no one wanted to talk, afraid of what subject might come up. Everyone was on edge.

"I heard you went to Australia, what for?" Megan asked finally breaking the silence.

"Heath had his bunker down there, it's in Balls Pyramid, an old part of a volcano."

"Did you find anything?"

"Knee caps." Superboy said.

"What!? That's absurd."

"Let me guess, there human?" He questioned.

"Yes, as a mater a fact I believe there Apollo's. Heath and him would always get into every so often and knowing them they probably killed each other a few times." Shadow sighed. "There's something carved into them, it looks German but it's to small to read."

"We will be able to read it with the super computer in the lab." Megan said.

"Good, it might lead us somewhere."

"I'm still curious about something, that riddle or what we found in Axel's laptop, if it had something about Heath is it possible that is says something about each of them?"

"Yes that's a possibility but, there was only four sentences. There was five of them."

"What riddle?" Magan had stopped, there was what seemed to be a wreck and traffic was backed up for miles.

" Two. The youngest is the best. The rejected comes to play. The prey come to coward. The forgotten is to remembered. Five." Shadow had memorized it.

" The oldest is the worst. The accepted comes to work. The hunter comes to triumph. The remembered is to forget." Superboy recited. "That's what it says, after we unscrambled it out."

"Do you know what it means?" Megan asked.

"Heath was the oldest, but I'm starting to think that he's not what the riddle is talking about. He was probably the best out of the five of them." Shadow laughed silently to herself.

The car behind them horn blared. Their car did the same as well as the rest of the cars on the road. There was an explosion, a fire started creating a giant smoke cloud.

"What the hell was that?" Superboy screamed over the horns.

"I don't know." Shadow waved her fingers around and everything went quiet. "We should check it out."

Miss Martian had transformed, while Shadow pulled her hood up and Superboy climbed out of the car. They all flew over to the smoke. The bridge had been destroyed. Cars were in the river their passengers still in them. People were screaming, and running away. Some were trying to scramble or hang on to the edge of the bridge.

"We need to get these people out of here!" Miss Martian yelled. Superboy dove into the river and pulled two cars out, placing them on the shore before going back for more.

Shadow and Miss Martian were helping people off the bridge."This isn't fast enough! The bridge won't hold much longer!"

Shadow nodded in agreement. She flew up a few feet and spread her arms, reciting a few words that Miss Martian didn't recognize. A portal opened, a few feet away from her. "Everyone into the portal it's faster the bridge is about give!" Shadow shouted.

The bystanders were skeptical but after seeing Superboy and Miss Martian they knew they were safe. They all began to enter, another portal opened on the other side of the bridge, the exit. Superboy had gotten all the cars and civilians out of the river.

"The bridge looks as if it's been eaten away. Look." Superboy pointed at a spot near a support beam and connector. The metal was denigrating before there eye's. One of the connectors snapped and part of the bridge was collapsing. Superboy caught it with a heavy grunt, holding it in place for the rest of the people.

"I've seen this before, the weapons used on my Coven looked similar. They we're eaten from the inside out, then combusted." Shadow realized something as the last few people went through the portal. "I think we should move!"

Shadow flew down and grabbed Superboy. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Miss Martian flew up and towards the crowd on land. Superboy landed next to her. "Where's Shadow?" She asked.

"She was right behind me."

The two looked up as a force field surrounded the bridge. It was clear and everyone could see inside. There was a small child that had managed to climb on top of a car. It was a young boy, screaming.

A woman screamed from the crowd. Superboy flew towards the force field but it was solid there was no way in. He looked up and found Shadow, her eye's looked black.

"SHADOW! There's a kid in there!"

Shadow glared at him from the corner of her eye. "You have five seconds until this thing blows, I can feel it."

The force field disappeared. Superboy flew in and grabbed the boy, flying back out towards Shadow. She bridge finally gave way. Shadow raced towards him, hovering in front of him as the bridge exploded. The force field was still down. Shadow spread her arms as Superboy turned protecting the child. The blast shot up and outward, coming straight at them. Shadow was absorbing the impact.

She winced. "Get...out...of here! NOW!"

Superboy placed the child down with his mother.

"What is she doing?" Superboy asked.

"I'm not sure, she's absorbing all the energy." Miss Martian said. "One person can't contain that much power, let alone control it. She'll have to release someway or another or she will die."

"How do you know that? Does she know?"

"Yes, she is the one telling me right now."

The bridge fell into the river, the smoke cleared and a limp body fell from the sky. Superboy shot up and caught her.

"Go...up." Shadow grunted out.

Superboy did as he was told. The air became thin, Superboy and Shadow were having trouble breathing.

"Throw me."

"What?"

"Just...mghgrrm." Shadow held her chest. "DO IT!"

He did. Shadow disappeared out of view. He waited a moment, nothing. One minute. Five minutes. Still nothing.

A sonic boom was heard. The whole crowd looked up. And there was Shadow. A weak smile on her face. She came to a soft landing on her knee as the people made a hole.

"That was totally awesome!" The boy she rescued screamed.

Shadow rose up with her head held high. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell.

"Shadow." Miss Martian and Superboy said in unison. They both rushed over to her.

"Are you guys okay." Shadow said meekly.

"Us? We're more worried about you." Miss Martian smiled as Shadow closed her eyes.

Superboy picked her up and flew back to the car. Miss Martian followed. They placed her in the back seat.

"She told you to do that, didn't she?"

"Yes."

Neither hero said a word until they reached Blüdhaven. Superboy took Shadow to her room. Miss Martian gathered their things from the car.

They met up in the main room when they had an incoming call, it was Batman.

"We took control of the situation on the bridge. You did well. But be careful, and watch out for her she's a loose cannon."

"Yes, we'll be careful. Superboy out." Conner waved the screen away. "We should think of a plan. Did you find the knee caps?"

"Yes, I just put them in the scanner. We should have the results soon. Do you trust her? I mean if these people have been after her for so long why tell us now?" Megan sat down in a chair sighing.

"I think she means well. But no I don't completely trust her. Dick might but that doesn't mean we have to."

"I do."

"What?"

"When she told me what she had to do in order for those people to stay safe. She knew exactly what it could have done to her, but she still did it anyway. I'm not sure she knew but she let me in, for those few brief moments. I saw the real Shadow, the one Dick has come to know, the one I would like to know."

"He needs her now more then ever."

"He just lost his best friend, they created this team, let me join and found you." Megan stood in front of Conner. "They need each other."  
Conner placed his hand on her face, trailing it down to her chin and tilted it up towards his. He smiled. "I've missed you."

Megan wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer. Their lips collided. Passionate lust went through the both of them, all that time they were apart came flooding back. Conner deepened the kiss. Megan letting him inside, she moaned in pleasure.

They separated, gasping for air. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Megan traced his face.

Sounds were heard from the bedrooms. Loud thumping noises. Then a scream. The door flung open and Shadow was flung out hitting and sliding down the opposite wall. She screamed. She was looking as if someone were standing in front of her. "NO!" Get away. You can't kill me."

"Shadow! What are you doing." Conner walked over to her.

He was stopped by an invisible wall. "St...stay back. I will kill you if you come any closer."

"She's not consciously doing this. She's sleep walking. We have to wake her up."

"WAKE UP!" Conner tried.

"You're suppose to be dead, y...you died. I saw it. All of you died. Your not real this can't be happening. I...we trusted you! Why!?" Shadow was on her knees looking up at the no existing person." WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!" She was crying uncontrollably.

Megan walked over and jerked her up slapping her across the face. Shadow fell back into the wall.

"We'll that's one way to do it." Conner said.

She blinked a few times, and stood rubbing her cheek. "What the hell?"

"You we're sleep walking and talking about someone being dead and killing you. Do you remember any of it?"

"No." Shadow looked away. "What time is it we should get to work."

"Its about 8, but I don't think investigating tonight will do much good. The League took care of it for now. We should look at what you found, the scan should be done by now."

They walked into the next room. The knee caps lay on the table with the scanner light hovering over it. Conner waved a screen up in front of them. "It looks like more code."

"That's German. Wait, it has the riddle again the same one we found on Axel's laptop. What does the second one say?"

"Its." Conner zoomed in. " more German."

"It looks like a letter, but whose Emrick?" Megan stepped closer to look.

"I am."

* * *

I was so excited for putting this one up! Hope you enjoyed it!

READ&REVIEW!

~My Light Of Life


	11. The Words Were Carved In Bone

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 11- The Words Were Carved In Bone

He punched through another wall. Grunted at the blood flowing down his knuckles.

His pain, his relief.

He had left.

He had left her.

Again.

Richard turned and kicked a hole in the adjacent wall. "God fu... Damn it!"

It was early in the morning. He had been out running since late afternoon. Richard had come across a neighborhood that was due for demolition in a few days. He smirked. "Not much to destroy now."

* * *

Blüdhaven- Later that Morning

Megan was the first one up. She was making pancakes and bacon when Conner walked in. "Smells good." He sighed.

"It better, there's not much of a variety here. I'll go food shopping later." She turned and kissed Conner on the cheek. "Do you know what we're doing today?"

"Not a clue, after what happened last night with that letter I think she needs time."

"That is the last thing I need. Today we're going to find Richard." Shadow walked in grabbing a pancake, rolled a piece of bacon in it and took a bite. "Conner I want you to find out anything you can from Batty about the bridge. Megan you and I are going to Richard's apartment. We all leave in thirty so let's get moving."  
Shadow walked outside, leaving the new couple alone.

"I'll talk to her. She might open up, tell me more about herself. You never know."

"Just be careful. Give Dick my best, see you later." Conner placed a kiss upon her lips before leaving to shower.

* * *

"How did you know he had an apartment?"

"You honestly think I wouldn't keep tabs on him. Throughout all these years I've known what he, as well as the rest of the team have been up to. It's kinda my job." Shadow smiled. They had been flying for about half an hour. Richard's apartment was on the opposite end of Gotham. "Well it was anyway."

"You can tell me anything, it's not healthy to keep everything locked away. Trust me on that one."

"I have nothing to hide anymore, you found out my actual name, know about my Coven and even knowing that I'm real is just...I don't even know unreal?" Shadow halfed lied.

"But that doesn't tell me anything about you." They landed behind the apartment complex.

"You really want to know? If we find something here, I'll tell you two everything deal?"

Shadow put her hand out Miss Martian shook it."Deal."

Shadow walked out and climbed the stairs, Miss Martian took human form and followed.

"He has the penthouse?"

"Of course, you think Bats would let him have anything less than the best?" Shadow stopped in front his door.

Miss Martian knocked, no answer. She knocked again still nothing. They waited for a moment.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Miss Martian raised her foot and kicked the door in.

"Damn." Was all Shadow could think to say.

The girl's froze. The apartment was trashed. The couches and pillows were torn to pieces, and scattered across the room.

Miss Martian walked over to what used to be the coffee table, carefully picking her way through the glass, she picked up a photograph. She let out a whimper. "This was taken a month after we formed the team."

Shadow walked over and looked. They were all so young. "We're never the same, never innocent. That is what this life does to us. Nothing will ever be the same."

"Artemis is taking his death as best she can. Being back on the team with everyone is good. But she still blames herself. He wanted to retire, settle down get married have kids. She missed the thrill the excitement of the missions."

"Nightwing didn't tell you guys about their plan. If Black Manta and the Reach knew you were genuine in your emotions they would never second guess it, along with Aqualad faking her death even The Light thought she was dead, until the summit."

"Yes, that was hard times for all of us." Miss Martian placed the photo down. "How did you know about the summit?"

"Uh." _Shit I forgot they haven't mentioned that._ Shadow thought. "Again if we find anything here I'll tell both of you everything."

The two girls dug through the mess, sorting through all the trash and looking for anything that might have some kind of value. An hour later they had nothing.

"Now what?"

"We could always wait until he comes home." Miss Martian had collected all of his pictures from their years as a team.

"Maybe we shouldn't." Nightwing's place had put Shadow in a bad mood. She hated seeing it like this. "Wally was his best friend, a brother neither of them had." Miss Martian sat down on the broken couch next to her.

"He was the only one that Richard told everything to. Even in the end, with Artemis on the inside with Aqualad. They had their own language. They fought but sorry was always implied never said." Shadow said. "We should leave. I'll write a note, that we were here."

"Superboy should be back, if not already."

Miss Martian placed the photos down next to the note. They locked up the door as best they could and left. The fly back was quiet.

"I will still tell you guys." Shadow finally broke the silence.

"We didn't find anything."

"No, you have a right to know. Especially Conner."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Blüdhaven

Conner was at the computer looking over the bones again. "I tranlated the German, but this last part wasnt in German." He handed Shadow the piece of paper.

"What does it say?" Megan asked. Shadow handed her the letter.

Megan began to read. "To my darling Emrick, you do not know this yet but that is the name you will be given in the not so distance future. If you are reading this that means that I am dead, most likely we are all dead. We knew about this for sometime now, but we also knew that you would never listen to us, at least not this century. You will find someone who loves you, who truly loves you not the way the Coven does. We left you with one final task, our last wish. There is someone out there that will be looking for and someone that will be hunting you. You must not lose control twice, you will once, but never twice. My dear you have brought meaning to my once lonely life. You brought me into your family, and it became ours. You must pay close attention to what comes next. There's been a crack in your Coven for a while now, and I fear that it's about to break open. You must stay strong, your will is more powerful than anyone we have ever met. The someone who will be looking for you, will name you. He will love. And you will love him, so much at times it will hurt. My Shadow has always lived in the dark, the time will soon come when you must live in the light. When that time comes, you must promise me something. Promise me you won't stray from your path. Help the ones you love find their way back. And let them help you. You give so much but take so little. I love you, we all do. You gave us a second chance, a place in your heart. We owe you our lives. All of us.

მხოლოდ სიღრმეებში ჯოჯოხეთი,

Heath

Shadow had started crying half way through the letter. She was on her knees holding her chest." They knew! damn it! I'm so helpless!" She turned and punched the wall. "Shit."

"How did they know?" Conner asked.

"Heath could see the future." Shadow sniffed and wiped her tears away.

"Do you know who he was talking about?" Megan asked. "What does this last part say I don't know what language its in?"

"Its not important."

"He said Emrick would be given to you by the man who loves you. Who gave it to you?" Conner looked at her.

"Richard."

* * *

Richard's Apartment

He slowly walked up the stairs, to what was left of his apartment. He noticed the door had been broken down. That snapped Nightwing out of his daze, pulling out a small dagger from his pocket he opened the door. The room was halfway cleaned. Walking over to the kitchen he found his pictures in a neat pile and a note in the most delicate handwriting.

We're here for you.

~Shadow

Richard slammed his fist down on the counter. He would find a way to save her. He needed a plan. A good plan. He needed to think.

Nightwing walked into his room and took off his shirt and went into his wash room. Turning the shower on high and throwing his pants on the floor, he stepped in. The hot water rain over his back as he leaned his head against the wall.

_I have to do something. God damn it! This is bullshit!_ He thought punching the wall._ But what?_

Richard slid down the wall resting his head on his knees. "Her mother."

* * *

Blüdhaven

"I made a deal with Megan and I always hold up my end. But it's been one hell of day, a week more like it, I need a drink."

"Its only 2 o'clock'." Conner sat down at the bar, in Bludhaven's small kitchen.

"And that would matter because?"

"Conner." Megan quickly said. "Why don't we go food shopping, and leave Shadow here to...collect her thoughts before telling us anything."

Conner watched as Shadow took a bottle of vodka and a glass from the cabinet. She slumped down into the stool. Poring herself some and drank it in one swing. She placed the glass on the bar with a hard clank.

"Fine."

"Great, we will be back with in the hour." Megan grabbed Conner's arm and pulled him towards the door.

Shadow sighed. "This is going to be a long night." She took another swing of the alcohol before looking at the letter again. "Emrick."

* * *

"Do you think she'll be there when we get back?

"Yes, I think she will. She seems the kind of person that would hold up a deal. Plus I can't be the only one curious about what she has to say." Megan was looking at different types of apples. "Which ones?"

"I guess your right, the green ones look better."

"Were..." Megan stopped at the doorway astonished. "...back."

The room was covered in papers. Some with Heath's letter on it. Others looked old and in many different languages. Shadow was sitting in the middle of it all. A half bottle of bourbon sat next to her. The empty vodka bottle a few feet away. She was speaking rapidly to herself in another language. She stood when she saw the couple.

"Ahoj, si späť." Shadow said. "No I mean, hi your back."

"What was that?" Conner asked as Megan went into the kitchen, to put the grocery's away.

"Slovak. So before I begin, first Richard did name me Emrick. He is, well was the only one who knew that. You can call me whatever you want. Second what ever I tell you two cannot leave this room, until after this mission is over. Understood?" She slurred out.

"Yes."

"Of course, we would never do anything to put you in danger."

"Alright." Emrick clapped her hands. "Lets get started."

* * *

She's drunk! Who wouldn't want to be after all that she has been through! Which you will find out in the next chapter!

~My Light Of Life


	12. The Whole Truth?

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

This chapter is a giving you A LOT of information and more depth into Emrick's life story. BUT is she still hiding something from them?! ALSO Superboy has heat-vision in this story, just FYI! THANKS!

* * *

Chapter 12 -The Whole Truth?

Emrick stumbled over to Conner, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I know everything there is to know about you and your relationship with Megan."

Conner pushed her off, she wobbled a few feet back. "You smell of alcohol."

" I wonder why. Now let me see, where do I start. Oh, yes my loving mother. She was, how do I put it, ragged? Unappreciative? Disparaging? Neglecting? Her unlovingness, if that's even a word. She hated me, plain and simple. She claimed she loved my father but I'd have to say killing him doesn't exactly count as 'til death do us part'."

"She killed your father?" Megan said quietly. Conner took her hand in his.

"Yes, but I guess that was a good and a bad thing."

"What?" Conner questioned.

"Well if she hadn't, then I might not be here. My mother attempted to murder my father with a curse. The curse was going to make him age drastically until he turned to dust. But my mother was cocky, she underestimated my father's osmosian powers. The curse rebounded, hit me instead. And with the combined powers of my mother's immortality and my father, I can absorb and become anything. And when I die..." She stopped talking and held her head. "Remind me never to drink bourbon again, it always makes me dizzy."

Emrick sat down in her piles of papers. "When I die, or more accurately when I'm killed, my mother becomes pregnant, the following Halloween. Since she's a witch she casts a time spell, and I'm born with hours."

"Is that how you obtained your powers?" Megan asked. Conner stood there speechless.

"Yes."

"Di...did you have any powers before that?" Megan gripped his hand tighter.

"Yes and no. We didn't know the extent of my powers. I had healing powers, and could heal myself along with other people, animals, hell even freaking plants. My father gave my life so I could live." She laid down her legs stretched out in front of her. She raised her left hand in the air. She spoke quietly. "The pain was so intense. I was in limbo for the most part. I remember my father kneeling over me, he was crying. I couldn't speak. He placed his hands over my heart, I felt the pain leave. His face remained emotionless throughout the whole ideal. I woke up hours later. My mother long gone, he was barely alive. He told me he loved me, and wished he could watch me grow up. The last thing my father told me was, stay in the shadows. That's where the name came from. I never knew what they named me, if they ever did." Emrick grasped the air with hand, trying to hold on to a memory that she had long forgotten.

"You...I'm sorry you had to go through that." Megan spoke up.

Emrick slammed her fist down. "So, I guess in reality a five year killed her own father."

"It's not your fault. Your mother did this not you, you can't blame you yourself!" Conner stood over Emrick.

She clumsily stood up and turned slowly towards him, then smacked Conner across the face. Speaking in a low voice. "Don't ever tell me that, I know all your secrets." She turned and picked up the bourbon bottle.

"Why do you keep saying things like that. Huh, you think you know everything about me?"

"I do actually, ever since we had our first fight. You see Mr. Bats thinks he has me wrapped around his little finger. Back in 1996 he discovered who I was. We were about the same age mid twenties, but he didn't agree on my use of powers, nor on my Coven. So we struck a deal that if I stayed out of The League's way, he'd turn a blind eye my way."

"In what way, in what universe would Batman allow that." Conner looked at her.

Like I said I know all your secrets as well as Batman's." The smile on Emrick's face was not that of a sane person. "Bats told Richard when I first arrived, that the only way I would be allowed The League's help was to tell them about my... special ability." She smirked.

Megan had been quiet. "What did you do to Conner!"

"Nothing that could hurt him, well physically anyway."

"What did you do?" Conner gripped her arms.

"Come on pretty boy, the score is no where near even. I've got two point on you."

"What did you do!?" He said again.

"Again I know all of your secrets, both of you."

"Tell me how!"

"Touch." Was all she said.

"What?" Megan and Conner said.

"Touch, everyone I touch. I know the history the memories, the heartache, the pain their whole fucking life story, within seconds I know it. And after that I know what they are thinking, where they are and basically everything else there is to about that person." She wailed her arms around. "That's how I knew about the Summit."

"We shook hands early, how much do you know?" Megan asked.

"Eh, I'd say about four years or so. But Conner here has only be alive for about six, so our little scuffle the other night, remember that? By the end, I knew everything there was to know about Superboy and Conner Kent."

Relief washed over Megan's face. "That's it? I could do that with telepathy."

"NO! You don't get it! I relive their life. I feel everything theyve felt in their lifetime, but im mere seconds. Their happiness, sadness, grief, sorrow, and pain. God, their pain!" She threw the bottle into the wall, glass flying towards her face, she didn't flinch. Leaning against the wall, small spots of blood were noticeable. "I used them."

"Is that why you and Batman don't get along?" Conner asked. "How?"

"I'd gather intel from anyone who would pay. No matter who they worked for or what they would do with the info, I'd find a way to obtain it."

" You were a double agent, so what." Conner sat down at the bar.

"Again, I'd find a way to obtain it, no matter what."

"You sold yourself?" Megan was flabbergasted. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Yes, I slept with hundreds of men for information that I more or less needed. If I could go back, I would. I'd tell myself to never even consider it. I was desperate. Hell we were all desperate!"

"Why, you could have anything." Conner asked.

"I wish, I did it for about a hundred years, 'til the late 90's. That's when I made the deal with Batman."

"If your seventeen now, you wouldn't have been able to...do all those things." Conner turned to look at her.

"I killed myself." Emrick said quietly. "But anyone who knows about it, thinks I was killed."

"Oh." Conner laid his head in his hands. Megan put a hand on his shoulder.

"I needed a new start. Also my Coven talked me into it. It was a test to see my mother; we couldn't kill her but Sylas had something planned. But it all went wrong. They didn't find me until I was seven. I already knew who I was, and had all my memories." Emrick finally lifted her head from the wall. Her cuts were gone, dried blood was still visible on her skin. "What they weren't expecting was the change. Living with him... being able to live and be an actual human, and feel wanted being cared for and...loved."

"You are wanted, your part of this family now, no matter what Bruce says we won't let you leave us. All of us care for you." Megan walked over and wrapped her arms around Emrick. Conner reluctantly followed, embracing them both.

Emrick was pinned back against wall. Conner and Megan followed unable to move.

"What's going on?" Superboy struggled.

"Charisma."

"Well, that saves me time. Now that we're all acquainted, tell my something my lovely daughter. How much pain can a Martian take before they finally give up a die. I mean you should know." A woman in her thirties walked into the kitchen. She had long black hair, black eyes, and wore a tight fitting red dress with a slit down the right side barely covering her. "Am I right?"

The woman flung her hands out beside her. Lifting a chair and tearing off a leg, before setting it on fire.

"No don't you dare touch her!" Superboy screamed.

"We're would the fun be in that, handsome." The wooden stake flung towards Megan, but stopped a few feet away.

"We're not new to this you know." Megan said, concentrating on the burning wood in front of her. She could feel the power that was in the women standing before her, along with the fire she couldn't hold on much longer.

"Ah, telekinesis I wasn't really expecting that one. But I can just get rid of that." She snapped her fingers and wood went through Megan abdomen, she slumped to the ground.

"NO!" Conner and Emrick screamed.

"That was fun. Well my job is done. I was wishing that I'd run into your little birdie friend but I guess he still hasn't recovered from our meeting earlier. You'll be free in a few hours or until the Martian's dead." The woman turned and vanished.

The two teens struggled against their invisible restraints. Emrick screamed again. "I have an idea, this spell is only holding us at our hands and feet."

Conner gave her a pained look.

Emrick nodded. The smell of burning flesh was unbearable as well as the pain, but she never told him to stop.

* * *

I'm sorry to say that I will not be updating this Thursday, school, work and the planning for this summer are at an all time high and hecticness right now. But next Sunday there will be a new chapter. I PROMISE!

READ & REVIEW

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	13. Missing Feathers

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

I know that it is kinda late, I normally have new chapters up first thing in the mornings, but I literally just finished this! On with the story! ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 13- Missing Feathers

Richard needed to talk to two people and the first one lived right around the corner. The large wrought iron gate stood in front him. He typed in his code and the gate crept open. He parked his motorcycle in the garage, next to Bruce's vintage car collection. Taking off his helmet her turned around to face the butler.

"Master Dick. This is a surprise, what brings you here to the Manor?"

" Alfred is Bruce here? I have to talk with him. It's important."

" Yes, I do believe his here. He was in the bat cave all morning, but I made him come up to eat, won't you join him?" Alfred gestured toward the door.

"Yes, thank you." Richard walked into the giant house he once called home. Walking through the halls, brought back memories, old memories. The pictures on the walls dated back to before he even became Robin. Standing with Bruce, in front of the mantle, on every holiday. A picture that they should be sending to friends and family. They only had each other as a family. Bruce, Alfred, and the team was the only family he had left.

He walked into the grand dining room. It was set for four. Chatter was heard from the next room. Alfred came up behind Richard. "This way, Master Dick." Alfred led him into the sitting room. "Lunch will be served momentarily."

"Dick, you look well."

She came over to hug him. He gave her a tight squeeze. "You too."

"Yo, man. Where you been?" Bart held his fist up Dick tapped it with his.

"I've been...around." He said. Damn it there is no way I can get what I need with these two here. "So what's new with you guys."?

" Same old, same old. Kal'dur has us working our asses off. This is our first real downtime we've gotten." Bart said. "Artemis and I are now alpha team. We get the good stuff, but Gramps doesn't exactly like it. He thinks I could use more training."

" Training in the field is the best kind." Dick sat down in the love seat next to Artemis. He gave her a quick once over. She looked tired, dark circles were visible even with make-up packed on. She was slimmer than normal even in a loose green dress shirt and black leggings. She was faking a smile, so was he. Dick wished he'd stuck around after The Reach fiasco, they were closest to Wally."

"How are you holding up?"

" I'm not sure. Dinah has asked to see me five times in the last two days. I was supposed to have one right now, but talking about...It is just too early for that. Missions are the best thing for me right now."

" I know it's only been two days but it feels so...strange, surreal. Like a dream."

" Like a nightmare, if it is someone needs to wake me up soon, or there will be nothing left to bother with. I need something to distract me."

" Dick I can't believe you lived here! That is so crash."

" Yeah, a nine year old kid in a house he thought was larger than the world, it was a thrill." He said sarcastically.

"You uh mind if I look around?"

"I don't mind, but Bruce might".

"Ah, Mr. Bart, would you like a tour of the Manor?" Alfred appeared behind him.

"Uh, yes sure why not." They both turned to leave. "Do I get to see the bat cave?"

Alfred continued walking down the hall, explaining how Bruce had rebuilt the house from the ground up.

"I need time away from the team, seeing Bart in his uniform...I've caught myself so many times almost calling him Wally."

" I tore my apartment to shreds."

There was a long pause between friends. Each one of them had felt the loss of a man. A brother. A boyfriend. A best friend. And a true love.

"I can see Wally right now, yelling at us for sulking." Dick grinned. "I risked my life now you need to get on with yours."

Artemis smiled. "We should do this more often."

" What? Have lunch with Bruce? Did he invite you here?"

" Yes, both of us. Didn't he ask you too."?

" No, I needed to talk to him about something but Alfred asked me to stay for lunch. I was planning on going to Blüdhaven after this. Would you like to come, I'm sure Megan would be happy to see you again."

" I'll think about it." Artemis clasped her hands tighter. "I want to know why Bruce invited us here today. He has to be planning something."

" Lunch is served." Alfred had brought Bart to dining room after his tour, and was coming to get the two of them when Bruce walked in.  
"Dick, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you. Are you joining us?"

" Yes, sir. I stopped by to talk to you, but it can wait until after we eat."

" Can you guys hurry up, I'm starving in here!" Bart yelled from the other room.

Lunch was served; a salad was brought out then chicken alfredo before anyone spoke.

"You two are probably wondering why I invited you today. Let me just say you are not in trouble of any kind. I am glad that you came by when you did, Dick. This involves you as well. Shadow as you all know is working with Superboy and Miss Martian on a mission. I would like to suggest..."

"You are not going to sit there and tell me that she's not to be trusted, or a complete slut! She is not! She has saved your ass more than you know!" Dick had risen out of his chair, pointing his knife at Bruce. "Just because you two have never gotten along, and you met under strange circumstances does not mean you can lash out at her. She's more like you, than you think!"

Artemis and Bart froze in mid-chew. They hadn't seen Dick yell at Bruce like that before. "Sit. Down." Bruce said calmly. "I was going to suggest that Bart and Artemis join them. They need all the help they can get. Dinah tells me that a change in scenery would be great therapy, since all three of you decided to ignore her offers."

" You want us to work with her?" Bart asked.

"I don't know what to say." Artemis wanted to say yes. She agreed with what Bruce said. A different scene would be helpful. "I accept." She blurted out.

"You do? Than I am so going with her."

"What is this?" Dick looked between the three of them. "You're doing this to keep an eye on Shadow, aren't you?"

" Not entirely. I found something that might interest you." They stared at Bruce waiting for him to finish. He cut a piece of his chicken and placed it in his mouth. He did it again, before looking up to find them eyeing him. "I will show you after lunch, now eat up."

The rest of lunch was quiet, Artemis, Bart and Dick finished their meal quickly while Bruce took his time, taunting them.

Twenty minutes later the four of them were standing in front of the computer screen in the bat cave.

"This is the infamous bat cave. So crash."

" This is so weird I thought the watchtower was secure, but I'd have to say this out numbers it with cameras." Artemis had spotted all the 'hidden' cameras that surrounded them.

"104,683 and counting with Gotham growing like it is." Dick stood straight with his arms crossed, anxious as to what Bruce had to show them.

"And that's just in Gotham; this cave has access to every single camera on earth at any point of day. Including satellite images. But this came up early this morning." Bruce pulled up a video from a traffic cam in what looked like New York City.

There were people walking and rushing to places. People of all kinds, walking in and out of stores, then a commotion was seen in the far left frame. People were walking into the streets and walls of the shops. The sidewalk was clearing. It was a woman. She was watching the camera, as if she knew someone was watching her. She had long hair and wore a tight fitting dress. It was hard to tell who she was, the video was black and white and wasn't in the best quality. Then people stopped moving all together. The cars even stopped. The woman raised her hand and pointed at the camera and mouthed, "I'll be there soon". The camera went black for a split second and when it came back into view, the street looked normal again and the women was gone.

"Who was that?"

" Charisma or as you would know her, Shadow's mother." Bruce stated bluntly. "I do not hate or even dislike Shadow; we have our differences and our deal to hold. I stay out of her business and she stays out of mine. After I found and adopted Dick, she came up to me and asked if I could keep him away from her. She was terrified of herself. This Shadow that we know now is nothing like the one I first met. And it's all because of you Dick, you helped her see the good in life and what it means to really live. She had never lived with humans like that before. She had a family, she had loved ones. I can see that now."

" She still has a family, no matter what. Her Coven may have been the only family she thought she had, but she's wrong. I found her that night, I named her, and now I'm going to save her." Dick walked over and rapidly began typing on the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked, hating that she was out of the loop when it came to Shadow. She had heard about her ordeal from Kal'dur, but never thought Dick cared so much about her.

"I'm seeing if there at Blüdhaven, we're all going there when we leave. Bruce you're the best, this is what I needed." The screen came up, Blüdhaven was in view. Dick went through the different camera views inside until they saw Megan. She was slumped on the floor her shirt starting to burn. Conner and Shadow were pinned up against the wall. Conner was using heat vision on her. She let out a scream. Shadow dropped to floor. Blood was everywhere, Megan's and Shadow's, but Shadow's hands were gone and bone was seen at her wrists. Her skin was burnt black. She rolled over and her feet were seen, but they too we're detached, her left foot still in a mangled mess. Shadow reached for her own hand, laying her wrist down her left hand seemed to join with the rest of her body. She flexed it, before reaching for her right and doing the same thing.

Shadow flung her arms out saying a few words that no one could understand. The blood flowing out of Megan stopped. The fire seemed to be frozen in time, as if it were in a photograph. Shadow reattached her feet, and painfully stood up, placing her hands over Conner's wrists, then ankles. He too fell to the ground, crawling over to Megan.

"We need to get over there now!" Artemis was on the verge of tears. "We need to leave now!"

" Take the zeta tube, go!" Bruce yelled at the three of them. They ran over and where gone with a bright flash of light.

* * *

This is the last chapter were all they do is sit around and talk for awhile. I promise! HOPE YOU LIKED IT!

READ&REVIEW

~My Light Of Life


	14. Beneath the Beyond

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 14- Beneath the Beyond

When we die what happens to the soul or the spirit that's in every living thing? We know the body rots away in the ground dressed in their finest clothing never to be seen again by the light. But what if there was no body to bury, the person just vanished? Our body is just a vessel to keep our soul and spirits contained until the right time to come for them to be released. The time to shed that vessel and find a new one. To be reborn into something far greater than ourselves.

The darkness, is something everyone is afraid at one point of their life or another. The darkness can stretch on forever and ever. The man did not know how much darkness was around him. He was afraid of what else could be out there. He sat on the ground cross legged, resting his hand on his chin. A hand he couldn't see, he had no idea how long he'd been there or even where 'here' was.

A thud was heard off to his left. He didn't even turn, knowing he wouldn't be able to see anything. Also these thuds were nothing new. At first he couldn't decide who or what it was. But they would be heard every so often, always in different directions. Another thud, from his right, it sounded closer.

That feeling you get when you know something's standing near you, he felt it, always did. The third thud, so close like a whisper in his ear. Three, that was it. They would be heard what he thought was every hour or so.

He laid down and screamed her name. He missed her so much it hurt. Yet when he was with her, the love he felt hurt just as much, but he loved the way it. His arms wrapped around her. The way she would say his name.

"GOD DAMN IT! WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"

A shot went off. Standing up slowly, he felt a gust of wind rush around him. Then another thud.

A fourth? He thought.

But this one was different. It sounded heavier, almost a body dropping. He'd heard plenty of those before. He slowly walked towards where he heard the sound. Kneeling down on the ground he tried to feel his way around. Trying to feel anything, there was nothing. A grunt was heard from behind him.

"Hello, is anyone there?" He said to the darkness.

Another grunt.

"Whose out there?" He crawled on all fours towards the sounds. He felt warmth, a foot, a leg. It moved. "Hello?"

"Please, I won't hurt you, just tell me your name." He asked.

"I...my head hurts." It was a small girls voice. She sounded scared. She an accent, a very familiar one. He couldn't see her but he placed a hand on what he hoped was her head.

"You feel like you have a fever, do you know where you are?"

"I've always been here, do you know where you are?" She asked him.

"No, not at all."

"This is my home." The girl looked at him, he could make out the whites of her eyes, they were so clear. "You have beautiful eyes."

"You can see me?"

"I can see everything, I know how you came here, and why you're here."

"You do? Tell me, please." He was anxious to know. The small girl took his hand in hers. It was unbelievably cold, and fragile.

"My head hurts." She said again.

The man moved her to sit in his lap. "Just relax, I'm not going anywhere. Get some rest." He'd always wanted a child, a little girl would have been nice. She'd have her mother's strength and beauty, with her father's eyes. She had loved his eyes, always saying so.

"She loves you so very much. She hasn't forgotten, she never will." The girl had curled up, and sounded drowsy. "I'll make sure you get back to her." Her breathing slowed, she fell asleep.

The words of the little girl echoed in his head. _She seemed familiar, like they had met before. But this was her home? Had she been here the whole time and he never knew? Who is this child?_ He thought to himself.

* * *

"MEGAN!" Artemis screamed as she ran out of the zeta tube and over to the three crumpled bodies.

Conner was leaning over Megan with tears in his eyes. "What can I do?"

"I...just...have to...heal her." Emrick was out of breath and still in pain. The time spell she placed on Megan was taking its toll on Emrick's body. "She will be fine. I promise."

Artemis looked over Megan, her eyes were closed and her face locked in a look of pain. Her brows were frowned, and lips pursed together. She looked like a statue. "Are all of you okay?" She was on the verge of tears as well.

Richard put his hand on Artemis' shoulder. "Do you need us to do anything?"

"Were fine." Emrick winced, but ignored the throbing in her head, the pain that was coursing through her body. She slowly moved over to Megan. Placing both hands on the stake, she yanked it out in a swift move." No blood. She will be fine." Emrick then placed her hands over Megan's wounds, a light blue aura appeared and surrounded the two of them."Will someone take off her shirt, it will help.

Conner and Artemis slowly lifted Megan and slipped her shirt over her head, leaving her in her bra. The hole was visible, but it was slowly closing. Emrick's healing powers were working fast. "She will still feel the pain once I unfreeze her, it'll take a few moments before her brain and body become in sync again. Are you guys ready?"

"Do it." Conner's hands were placed on both sides of her head, ready for her screams to being, but not ready to hear his love scream.

The aura surrounding Emrick and Megan began to fade. Emrick winced, she ignored the pounding in her head again. She needed to fix this. She said a few words and Megan let out a blood curdling scream, before passing out.

"She'll be fine. She just needs rest. I'm sorry you guys were dragged into this."

Conner thanked Emrick and picked Megan up, carrying her towards her room. Artemis followed close behind, glancing back and thanking Emrick as well.

"This should not have happened.I cant believe this happened I let this happen." Emrick slid down the wall, bringing her knees to her chest. Her whole body was growing numb.

Richard had been standing behind Artemis, he hadn't said much. He kept thinking back, trying to put faces with people. He had never seen her mother before, she had only been talked about he only that she didn't want her own daughter.

"Are you okay, I can't believe what you two did."

"I would do anything for anyone of you. My Coven they...aren't...here anymore. I need to finish this."

"No." Richard said sitting down next to her. "We need to finish this."

* * *

They had both fallen asleep eventually. He woke first. Stroking her soft hair. "I have been here for over 600 years. This is my home." The girl spoke in a soft gently voice.

"Wait." He knew she felt familiar. "What's your name."

"I don't have one. At least if I do, I don't remember it. But your here now." The girl still smiled knowing he wouldn't be able to see it.

He wanted to tell her he might know who she is, but didn't want to get the girl's hopes up. He had to find a way out of here. "You said you'd find a way to get out of here. What did you mean by that?"

"You are not dead. You don't belong here. If I get you out of here then I can be free as well."

"When you say get out of here, do you mean..."

"You'll go back to her. You'll be able to see her and everyone else you love again. Things will go back to normal."

"And when you say you'll be free?"

"I just want to die, I've lived too long"

They sat in silence, the darkness cascading around them. Another breeze went through, it was chilly.

"This place is falling apart, it's not able to hold two people. We need to find a way out, before it collapses or neither one of us will be getting out of here."

"How long do you think we have?" He stood up and stretched his legs, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

"I'm not sure, a week maybe two."

"We'll then let's get to work. Where do we start?"

"We start walking that way." The girl mist have pointed with her hand but he couldn't see it. "I mean east. That's the only place I have not been."

"Why?"

"It didn't feel right going by myself, but now it does. I was brought here and stayed here in order to do something and now I think that something is getting you back to your loved ones."

He helped the small child up, she gripped his hand as they walked deeper into the darkness, deeper into the unknown. Neither of them knowing what to expect.

He trusted her. He wasn't sure why but he did. The child reminded him of a friend of his. He laughed to himself. More like the love of his best friends life. He had to get back to everyone, no matter what. And he was damned if he couldn't save this little girl along the way. She shouldn't be thinking like that. He wasn't sure we're she was taking him, but if it led him back home, he'd follow.

"You and I will be good friends, I can tell."

He looked down at the girl, he knew that already. He was good at making friends. He just hoped that his friends back home would be there waiting for him. "We already are."

"Come on, you're walking to slow. Hurry up, Wally!"

* * *

And that concludes this chapter! New one will be up on Sunday as always!

READ&REVIEW

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	15. A Knife From The Past

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

This is a filler chapter, but shows just how close true family can be.

* * *

Chapter 15- A Knife From The Past

Everyone was exhausted and needed sleep. Artemis and Richard decided to stay the night, and figure things out in the morning. Bart had stayed at the bat cave, and would come later that morning to move in. It was almost three, when Emrick was jolted awake by yet another nightmare. Thankfully, she didn't scream this time.

She ran her hand through her hair, letting out a long sigh. Throwing her legs over the bed, she stood up. Her body was sore, from last night's endeavors. She looked down at her hands and feet, seeing the light pink ring, she frowned. "Damn it". She grumbled to herself.

She threw on a long black sweatshirt, and walked out the room and down the hall, towards the kitchen. Her stomach growled, she opened the fridge and found it fully stocked with all kinds of food. Emrick grabbed a water bottle and an apple. Sitting at the bar, she took a bit, avoiding the erge to look at the blood-stained floor.

"You can't sleep either?" Emrick jumped at the sound of Artemis' voice. "I've tried everything to no avail."

Emrick gave her a weak smile. "I'm so sorry about Wally. He was a great hero and man."

" Thank you. It has been a rough few days. I'm sorry to hear about your Coven, you lost your whole family."

Emrick didn't say anything; she needed to tell them everything about that God-awful night. "So, you guys are coming to live here?" She said changing the subject.

"Yes, Bart and I will be helping you out. Bruce said you could need it."

Emrick smirked. "Bats just wants to see me gone."

" You'd be surprised; you two are more alike than you think. He never understood...your past selves." Artemis wasn't sure how to put it. "I think he might actually be worried about you." She smiled.

Emrick looked at her. "He's a great father to Richard, always has been. Once I came into my memories I didn't really want him around, I was terrified."

" Bruce raised Dick, and Dick raised you. You three are more than family. You can put everything on the line for the sake of a mission; Bruce does the same, except when it comes to Dick."

Emrick laughed cruelly. "You're telling me that 'The Batman' has a weakness? I don't buy it."

" He does." Richard stood in the doorway of the kitchen. "And it is in fact me." He walked over and joined the girls at the bar. "No matter how much he denies it."

Richard took a swing of water from Emrick's bottle. "We had a falling out a few years ago. Around the time I became Nightwing."

" Batman almost lost Robin that night." Artemis said, wringing her hands together.

* * *

_Three years ago_

"Robin to cave, we're in."

" Kid Flash to cave, what the hell are we doing exactly?"

" Batman's orders." Red Tornado said, from Mt. Justice.

Robin, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian were crouched behind large metal crates, on a shipyard, in the Mediterranean Sea.

_"The mind link is up, Superboy, Artemis can you hear me?"_ Miss Martian asked.

_"Loud and clear, but I'd have to agree with Kid, what are we doing here?"_

A cargo ship drifted over and docked. Five men unboarded, one of them with a purple suit and green hair.

_"Joker? Where's Batman?"_ Robin pulled out a batarang, ready for anything.

_"I'm on my way, make sure no one leaves. And do not under any circumstances move in. Do I make myself clear?"_

_" Crystal."_ He placed his weapon back.

The team stayed where they were. Superboy was with Artemis on the other side of the yard. Boxes were unloaded, three to be exact.

_"We have to find out what's in those."_ Robin already had his wrist computer out. _"There's nothing in them, completely empty. Let me see what our little friend infrared has to say."_ The screen changed, the boxes were dark red. _"There hot."_

_" I'm guessing that's not a good thing?"_ Artemis asked, watching them through binoculars.

_"There radioactive hot._" Kid Flash spotted her looking at them and smiled, she smiled back.

"Ah, so the little bird has come out to play, you know what they say the early bird never gets the worm." Joker let out his infamous cackle. Two of his men had found them. Miss Martian flew up in the air and prevented anyone from board the ship. More goons surrounded Kid Flash and Robin.

"You ready for this." He asked Robin. "Loser, buys dinner?"

" Deal!"

Kid Flash took off, running circles around the men. Knocking them off their feet. "I've got three."

Robin pulled out his batarangs once again and threw them at two men, before doing a back flip off a third then pulled out his eskrima stick. He used it to fling himself at two more, round housing them with his foot. "I've got five down." The boy wonder was grinning from ear to ear.

"Focus." The dark figure behind Robin said.

"Batman! You're um here." Robin put on a straight face and kicked himself for not being serious. "Those boxes are radioactive; I'm not sure what's in them."

" And the main attraction appears." The Joker had four of his men surrounding Miss Martian with flamethrowers, she was flying lower and lower. Superboy swooped in and pulled her out of range from the fire. Artemis put two arrows in each man's legs. Kid Flash raced over and brought her to where Superboy had landed.

Batman and Robin stared back at the Joker. More men had shown up out of nowhere. Including Simon. "You told me I could take the Martian out."

"Do what ever you want with girl. But the bird and the bat are all mine."

Kid Flash rushed Simon, but was blindsided with a powerful headache that brought him to his knees. "Look here speedster, I'll mess the blonde up until she doesn't even recognize you, if you take one more step." Kid Flash froze, he turned to look at Artemis, she had her bow and arrow drawn and facing right at him. "If you move, she'll shoot."

They were ready for Superboy as well. One of the men pulled out kryptonite. He went down, hard.

Batman and Robin had rushed the Joker, throwing everything they had at him to no avail. Joker elegantly dodge everything, while throwing everything he had right back at him. Robin was thrown into one of the crates from the ship. He was unconscious.

Batman growled. "You're dead."

Joker screeched like a girl. "Please don't, I have a wife and children." He crouched next to Robin." Ah, so young but not so innocent. It's a shame he won't see his dear partner again."

Batman leaped towards them, just as Joker stabbed the poor boy, with his Dalton knife. The Joker pulled it out roughly and licked the side. He stood up and jumped back just missing Batman's punch. "Come on boys, let's blow this little party."

The men holding the team at bay dropped everything, grabbed the crates, and boarded the ship. "Simon let's go you're needed elsewhere." Simon let Miss Martian go; she landed next to Superboy who was beginning to recover. Artemis and Kid Flash were still in a jam.

Batman ran over and held his son. Blood was spilling out around his body. "Hang on son. Alfred will fix you right up." Batman pushed a button on his utility belt and the batmobile landed. He carefully picked him up placing him in the car with wings. "Superboy help Miss Martian, get her to help out Kid and Artemis. Then go back to the Mountain and wash up. I'll deal with Dick."

Batman opened the drivers do and jumped in, barely closing it before taking off. He stared straight ahead, not wanting to look at the dying boy next to him. They landed at the entrance to the bat cave. "Alfred I need you in the medical bay now!" He said through the com.

" Right away Master Bruce."

He placed Robin on the surgery table. "Bruce is he?"

"No. Damn it don't even think that! You have to help him."

" Yes, right away but you need to leave. I believe there are other children that need an adult with them right now. Go help them; I won't let anything happen to him."

The doors closed as Alfred rolled the table into the next room. Batman began to pace. He needed to work. The Joker was gone and whatever was in those crates were gone as well. The team was in shambles. Batman radioed the Mountain; the team had gotten back and was on their way to the cave.

Bruce and the team had been waiting two hours until Alfred walked out of the surgery room, his sleeves were rolled up, and his shirt was covered in blood. He wiped his hands on a towel with a long face. Sitting down in the chair. "Dick will be alright, he lost 3 pints of blood. And he must be taken off duty for awhile."

The atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten. "Young Master's I have taken it upon my responsibility to make rooms up for you tonight. Judy would you be so kind as to take them to their rooms.

An elderly woman appeared at the door, the teens followed. Leaving Bruce and Alfred alone.

"I lost him twice, it was touch and go for awhile there. I wasn't sure he was going to pull through or not. Bruce, I know what you are thinking, but this is in no way your fault. Stuff like this happens in the business you are in."

"I know that, which is why this is going to be so much harder for me to do."

"Are you planning on making him give up Robin?"

"No, he is going to become his own man now. He has been through so much, and taking this type of responsibility and the strength he has, has proven to me that he is in fact ready for a solo hero."

* * *

Present

"They lost you twice!? Why didn't you ever tell me that?!" Emrick had no idea that had happened. I guess she wasn't as good at her job as she thought.

"It was a rough night for everyone. I don't think I slept, but Wally he..." Artemis took a deep breath before continuing. "He stayed with you; he never left your side until you woke up." She told Richard.

"I didn't know." Richard ran a hand through his hair. "I just wish, I could have told him something's, ended things on a better note."

Emrick sat quietly. They needed something to do. "I realize I didn't know Wally like the rest of the team did, but keeping busy is always a good thing for recovery. Everyone here has lost someone close to them."

"She's right, we're on a mission. We are starting things back up, first thing in the morning." Richard was in a good mood, talking to the girls felt right and helped. "We will look at the riddle again and I guess head out to another bunker?"

"Yes, I think searching their bunkers is a good way to find information, because they knew something was happening, well at least Heath did."

"In a few hours it will be morning." Artemis said. "I'll go home and grab some clothes along with Bart. We'll see how Megan and Conner are doing then head out?"

"Sounds like a plan." Richard stood, and kissed Emrick on the cheek and whispered. "Now we're even." He smiled, and then left for his room.

Artemis was grinning. "He's more like his old self when your around." She said. "So where whose bunker is next?'

"Apollo's."

"And his would be located...?"

Emrick rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hverfjall crater."

"Country?"

"Iceland."

* * *

And that concludes chapter 15! Spoiler Alert!- Our favorite red-headed speedster(well one of them) explanation will be told! SO STAY TUNED! THANKS!

READ&REVIEW!

~My Light Of Life


	16. Green Ice

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

I am terribly sorry for not updating on Thursday! I was stuck a liltte on this chapter and was not sure how I wanted it to turn out.

* * *

Chapter 16- Green Ice

Megan woke up and clutched her stomach. She let out a cry and then went into a coughing fit. Conner was sitting in the chair next to her; he woke up to the sound of her coughing.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yes, I think so." She told him. It was ten o'clock and they were the first ones up. Conner and Megan walked hand in hand to the kitchen. Artemis followed a few minutes later.

"How are you two feeling this morning?" She gave them her best smile.

"I'm doing fine, I just feel weird I'm not sure how to explain it. What exactly happen?"

" Shadow's mother, she was here and attacked you three." Artemis told her.

Conner placed some toast and a glass of orange juice in front of Megan. "Emrick did something that froze you in time, and then healed you. Do you remember any of it?"

" Vaguely, it's all a blur." She said holding her head.

Richard walked in at that moment. He smiled. "How's everyone feeling this morning?"

Everyone stared at him. Then the whole room erupted in laughter. They stood around the bar, reminiscing in the life they have, loved ones lost and loved ones saved. No tears were shed from sorrow, only those of over exposure to laughter.

Emrick walked in dressed in an all white slim fitting ski suit her hair dark hair was up in a tight bun. She was carrying a hanging clothes bag. "Gear up. I got a hold Bart and he will be here soon. We're leave as soon as he gets here." She turned to leave when she final noticed they were all grinning and biting their tongues in an attempt to stop laughing. "Is there something I should be worried about?"

Megan stood and walked over to her. "Emrick, I wanted to thank you for last night. You saved my life. Thank You."

" Emrick...she called you..." Richard rushed passed Megan. He wrapped his arms around Emrick, holding on tight." You remembered, after all these years?"

" This is the first time I have really used it." She hugged him then stepped back. "We should get going."

"Go where?" Megan asked.

"Iceland."

" Why are we going there?" Conner stood and looked through the bag she had brought in. "And what's with all the white? Isn't it summer in Iceland."

" Not we're going. Hverfjall crater, the snow hasn't all melted yet. Apollo's bunker is there. The hunter comes to triumph. That's a verse in the riddle, and Apollo was a hunter in his own way."

" What do you by that?" Artemis questioned.

"He could find anyone or anything on the Earth, the universe, hell even different dimensions. Point is he's the hunter, he has found everything anyone has ever asked him to."

" So he was like a super detective?" Bart walked in at that moment in a similar suit as Emrick's, Bruce followed behind him.

"Yes, that's a good way to put it." Emrick couldn't look at Bruce. He knew that he would blame her for Megan's injuries.

"I came over to give you keys, I finished the ship. It's all set and ready to go." Bruce said. Emrick would rather not know how he knew they were leaving today.

"We're leaving in a few." Richard took the odd-looking keys from Bruce's out stretched hand.

"Just bring it back in one piece, okay."

"Thanks Dad, do I have a curfew now?" Richard joked.

"Just be safe, all of you, be safe." Bruce's gaze lingered on Emrick, but it was a protective look, not a glare. She smiled, he nodded.

"So, are we going or what?" Bart was ready to get going. He took the clothes out of the bag and ran around passing them out. He was a blur of white.

_He looks like a ghost_, Artemis thought.

While a familiar ghost was lurking just out of reach from them all.

* * *

"Do you think we'll get to wherever we're going soon?" Wally asked the girl.

"I told you, I've never been this way before. I'm not sure what we're looking for."

" Well, what were in the other directions?"

" When I went south there was a cliff, so I jumped off to see where it went."

Wally stopped dead in his tracks. "You jumped!?" He couldn't believe it.

"Of course I did silly, you can't die once your here. I just landed back where I started. The west was a lot of spiky rocks. The north I couldn't see, I can see everything until a giant wall blocks my path."

" So you can see here, as if there was light?" He asked her. She had said something early about seeing everything.

"I can see color, but no outlines. Everything is one big rainbow looking blur. I can see through the eyes of someone, when I want to. I'm not sure who she is, but she's crazy and has hurt a lot of people. And she never dies! Just like me. I don't see what she sees for a while but then the sight comes back and there are the same five people with her, they always look the same. But I can never hear what they're saying." She frowned, frustrated.

Now Wally knew who this girl was. Although he had only met her a few times, Dick had talked so highly about her when they were alone. It was as if he already knew her. "Would it be okay if I picked a name for you? It would be much easier."

" You want to name me?" The girl sounded surprised. She has never known anyone, let alone ever talked to anyone. "I'd like that." She smiled.

"Okay, how about, Shadow?"

"That's not a name silly." She laughed. So did Wally, _oh the irony_, he thought.

"What about, Emrick?" He wished he could see her face. The girls hand tightened on his.

"Emrick." She said the name cautiously. "Emrick." She said it again with more excitement. "EMRICK!" She hugged Wally. "I love it."

Dick had told him about the night he had met Emrick, no one knew her name, or even what to call her. The circus called her baby but Hal would always joke around and call her Hally. It wasn't until she started talking did they find her out her name; all she said was Shadow until she turned five.

Emrick was skipping beside him, humming, and laughing to herself. Wally smiled; he wished the other Emrick could relax like this one. The girl went quiet. She let go of his hand.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"I see you."

" What like the colors?"

" No, it's like a younger version of you, he's in all white. And an older man, he is wearing a suit. There's a green girl! With red hair, and the boy next to her is changing into a white t-shirt with a black 'S' on it and his smiling."

Wally was shocked; she could really see the team? He hoped Artemis was all right, god he missed her so much. Wally knew she would blame herself for his 'death' and without a body a to bury, he couldn't even imagine how she felt.

"Do you see a blonde woman dressed in orange and black or maybe green?" He asked the younger looking version of Emrick.

"There is a blonde but she's wearing a big Stanford University sweatshirt."

Wally grinned, remembering when she used to wear nothing but that sweatshirt around their apartment. He shook the thought away. If he ever wanted to see her, again he had to keep moving.

"Let's keep moving."

" Okey dokey." Emrick began to skip next to Wally.

They walked for what seemed like days, but Wally knew that it could not have been more than a few hours. He was about to ask if she knew anything when, Emrick stopped again. "What do you see?" Thinking she was checking in on the team.

"I see green."

" Do you normally not see green?" He asked her.

"Not like this, there is a lot of it."

" Where?"

" To our left."

Wally turned left, and for a split second, he saw a flash of green. It looked like rope. Just as it appeared, it was gone. "Tell me you just saw that."

" I did, let's go see what it was."

The two walked over to where they had seen the flash. There was a wall. At least Wally thought it was one, since he walked right into it. He felt his way along the side of it, still following the girl. She stopped and he almost ran into her. There was a hole in the wall, and they could just barely see the end of it. There was a dim light.

"It looks like a tunnel. You think this could be our way out?"

Emrick grabbed Wally's hand and they entered the tunnel together. "Let's go find out."

* * *

"I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting. I needed to make a phone call." Richard had called Hal. Asking him about the night they found Emrick, was interesting. Richard couldn't remember it as clearly as he wished he could. Charisma had dumped a child on Hal's trailer, but a two-year-old Richard had found her and knocked on the door. Hal was shocked and took him to Richard's mother, Mary. After that, the child became like family. Until she turned five and her, memories came rushing back to her. Richard remembered that night all too well.

"It's no problem; we have everything packed and ready for the trip." Emrick smiled.

"This is so crash." The team walked out onto the helicopter pad, where the new Batship was waiting. Bart had named it moments after Bruce left. The name had stuck. It looked like the Batmobile but much bigger and the wings were showing, unlike those of the Batmobile.

The ride to Iceland was short, with light chatter from everyone. The mood was that of happiness and excitement. Everyone was telling old team stories, about the misadventures of the team and their crazy antics of their younger years.

"You have arrived at your destination." The computer said.

"Okay everybody out." Nightwing said.

As the team left the ship, the air turned chilly; there was still some snow on the ground. The crater was about half a mile to the north of their current location. As they approached the crater, the writing in the dirt and rock became more and more clear. It was people's initials in hearts, poems, or profanity words written everywhere. They walked down into the crater.

"So where is Apollo's bunker?" Tigress asked.

"We're standing on it. This whole thing is it."

" And that would mean?" Kid Flash questioned.

"The crater is alive; Apollo had this special power where he could connect his life energy, his soul to anything and bring it to life. But now that he's gone I'm not sure if it's even possible to get in."

" Where is it located?" Miss Martian asked.

"This way." Shadow walked down towards the middle of the crater the team following close behind. She placed her hand to the ground and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Standing up she turned and pointed. "There."

* * *

And that is the end of chapter 16! We get a look into someones past next chapter!

READ&REVIEW!

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	17. The Hound's Hunt

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light Of Life

Here is 17! ENJOY! I enjoy using real events when writing about the Coven's past.

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Chapter 17- The Hound's Hunt

Indian Ocean, East Africa 1589

The Ottoman Navy attacked only Portuguese ships in the Indian Ocean during the early 1580's. By 1885 Mir Ali Bey, the Turkish admiral, had seized the Portuguese harbors, Baraawe, Jumbo and Muqdishu. In 1586 the Portuguese fought back against the Ottomans, they won but gained little land back. Once the Ottomans seized the city of Mombasa the African tribe of Zimba joined the Portuguese and retook the city. The city lost most of her population during the massacre. The Portuguese helped rebuild and repopulate the city. The last Portuguese attack took place on January 30, 1589. The fleet consisted of two galleass, five galleys, six galliots seven other ships and 900 soldiers. They were able to recapture their lost cities and capture Mir Ali Bey.

His story started during that massacre. He was on a hunt, he had to find her. He couldn't let her die in this place. The man was running through canon fire and some new looking weapon that both the Ottomans and Portuguese had that shot small metal pellets out of a small hollow barrel.

He saw her, standing on top of a wall. The battle continued around her.

"I found you, thank the Lord's." He said.

The girl smiled and let out a giggle. "You still have yet to find my two dear sweet friend." She ran a hand down his dark skinned face and stopped at his lips. "You are a very handsome man. You have a unique set of powers within you."

"I...I'm not sure how to respond to that."

"You are my stars, my sweet Apollo."

* * *

Hverfjall Crater, Iceland 2016

"So what are we looking for exactly?" Kid Flash asked. The team had been wondering back and forth along a short stretch of the crater's wall for over an hour.

Shadow could always remember Apollo, there was something. She smiled at the thought of them meeting. "I guess a door of some sort."

"Hey I think I found something." Kid Flash was digging at the wall a few yards down. They rest of the team walked over to where Kid Flash had cleared away a portion of rock and snow. The door blended in well with the surrounding colors. It looked like a normal door.

"Great job kid." Superboy, patted him on the back.

Shadow cleared the rest of the door. "There's no doorknob."

The door was a dark metal and would have seemed cold to the touch. Shadow placed her hand on it, but pulled it back immediately.

"It's cold." Nightwing laughed.

"No, it's not that. Everyone place your hand on it." The rest of the team followed.

"What is that? This is so unusual." Miss Martian was looking between her hand and the door.

"I know I've only been alive for six years but I'm pretty sure doors aren't supposed to feel like that." Superboy stated.

"So when you said he connected his life energy into this place you were actually being serious." Kid Flash was astonished.

"This is incredible. How do we get in? Do you think the whole crater is like this?" Nightwing

The team stepped back when a plagued appeared in the upper portion of the door.

Kid Flash was the first to react; he touched the plaque, his hand print molded into the material. A noise that sounded like a tree breaking was heard, and then the plaque went back to normal. "I think it needs some kind of password, maybe?"

"A password, okay let me try." Shadow was trying to think of things Apollo would use. She drew in Shadow and they heard the same noise. Shadow then drew in Apollo, the noise repeated. "I'm not sure what else he would use."

Three hours later, they still had nothing. They had all took turns drawing on the strange door to no avail. Shadow had done all the guesses on different languages, but the door remained closed. Artemis had gone through the alphabet twice. "I don't know what it is. Was there anything that he felt close to? Maybe it's his birthday, or the day you two met?"

"We already tried those, nothing works!" Shadow was frustrated with herself. "Why can I not come up with this?! I lived with this man for over 400 years and I cannot even think of a password!" Shadow walked further down the crater.

"Nightwing I've got nothing else." Superboy said.

"Me too." Miss Martian said. "Why should we take a break, let's eat something, no one can think on an empty stomach."

Everyone except Nightwing followed Miss Martian back to the batship. He wanted to talk to Shadow.

"Would it be selfish if I said nothing ever goes the way I want it to?"

"In this case I think you have a right to say that." Nightwing sat down next to Shadow.

"I don't...I can't go back there. I brought all of you out here for what? To see a door that won't open?!"

"You will go back, and we will get into the bunker. Things will be alright. You'll see." Nightwing told her sternly. "Come on get up! Let's go try something else."

Nightwing stood and grab Shadow's hand, pulling her up. They walked back to the rest of the team hand in hand.

"So who has the next guess?" Kid Flash was eating some kind of sandwich that Miss Martian had made. He walked over to the door and examined it again. Shadow did the same thing before raising her hand. She wrote in a strange language. The writing seemed familiar to the team, but no one said anything unsure of Shadow's reaction. She finished and stepped back, the team looked at what she had written on the plaque.

მხოლოდ სიღრმეებში ჯოჯოხეთი

The door made no noise. Kid Flash walked forward and touched it. He fell through as if it were water. "KID FLASH." Artemis screamed. Shadow followed Kid Flash and went through the door after him.

The plaque disappeared along with two of their teammates. "Damn it, we don't have any coms on them. Miss Martian can you contact them?" Nightwing was trying to stay calm.

"No, none of our powers work on this crater."

"So you're telling me that they went in there blind!" Artemis wasn't trying to stay calm; she banged on the door, screaming for Bart.

"Artemis, stop it. This will not make anything better. Both of them are smart and talented they will be fine." Superboy held Artemis back.

* * *

"Wait, stop moving." Kid Flash said in a strained voice to Shadow. "Stand up." Shadow moved. "Slowly!" Kid Flash yelped.

"Sorry!" Shadow stood then realized she had landed on his groin. She helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay." He leaned against the wall. He straightened himself and looked around. "Are we inside the wall?"

"I believe so, the outer part of the crater. This tunnel must go around the whole thing."

The walls were a dark kind of rock. The ceilings were high, covered with small lights. "It looks like the night sky."

"You are my stars." Shadow smiled remembering the first time they met. "I can't believe he did this. Apollo's bunker is the one I didn't know much about, Sylas' either."

"How did you two meet anyways, you and Apollo?"

"The Portuguese and Ottomans were fighting over God knows what once again. Sylas and Vicken had been in Muqdishu port when the Ottomans captured in. I was on my way, back from some...business I was... dealing with when I saw the ships explode, that was the first time Vicken had died as an immortal. It would be days before they came to. And I had no idea where they would be waking up."

"So, how does Apollo fit into this?"

"His tribe, the Zimba became involved when the city if Mombasa was taken. It was a massacre, the population was lost. I was caught in the battle. Apollo told me years later he saw me crying at the port after the explosion. Once he saw me in Mombasa, he took off and came to seek me out. After that, we searched for Sylas and Vicken for three days. I loved him, hell..." Shadow let out a deranged laughed. "I loved them all. I turned him immortal four years later. But those years when he was mortal scared me half to death."

"Why, was he injured a lot?" Kid Flash and Shadow had been walking for about half an hour. The whole tunnel looked the same. There was no turns or any doors it was just a long hallway, that seemed to have no end.

"He was sick, all the time. We traveled everywhere. His immune system basically sucked. The rest of us had immunity to human diseases. Apollo was on deaths porch, I had no choice but to change. He could've died."

"It's knocking on deaths door." Kid Flash laughed trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, it can be could be either. They say it differently in every dimension."

"You can travel to other dimensions?" Kid Flash looked astounded. "That is so crash, what is it like?"

"Some are exactly like this world, I've seen the destruction of two. I have friends and enemies in most of them."

"You've seen the end if the world before? That had to be some sight."

"Yes, one dimension had a group of mad scientist that created a type of chemical that could be spread through the air, it killed all the humans, but the mutants were immune to it. The world was reborn as they called it. Paradise on Earth, no one was fully human. The Coven and I met great people there, but their government was still being worked out since most of the adults within the government were human. It was great though, no one had to hide their identity."

"That must have been nice; it's such a pain in the ass to live two lives. They collide together too much." Kid Flash stared off further down the tunnel not meeting Shadow's eyes.

"We all make sacrifices, that is what this type of life is all about. Secrets are what we live for."

"That reminds me, what was the password for the door? That was not any type of language I've ever seen before."

"It's Azerbaijani my mother's native tongue. Today they refer to it as Georgian it's changed over the years."

"When was your mother born, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Some time in the 8th century BC."

Kid Flash stopped walking. "Your mother is older than Jesus?!"

Shadow laughed. "I guess so." She turned to face him. "She was a ruthless witch, but acted as a healer. She tested black magic on her patients."

"Oh, I haven't seen my parents in almost six months."

"I can take you back anytime you want to, just ask. I know that you came here knowing it was a one way trip."

He knew about her telepathy, but Miss Martian had read his mind when he came here and never found out about it. He stared at her. Her dark brown eyes that looked black in the tunnels. With the lights above them, they looked like the night sky. She looked amazing in the white suit, the fitting fabric showing off her curves. He grinned.

"HA." Shadow knew what he was thinking even without her powers. She turned and purposely suede her hips for him. Thankful he didn't ask anymore questioned about the password. She wasn't ready to give away all her secrets, just yet.

Kid Flash laughed and ran to catch up with her. They walked around a slight bend. "It's a dead end. Now what?"

"This cannot be a dead end." Shadow looked around the wall. She found an imprint of wolf's paw near the right corner. "Look at this."

Kid Flash crouched down next to Shadow. He placed his hand over the print. It disappeared and the wall lowered. It opened into a giant room. The ceiling looked the same, but seemed to be even higher. The walls had water flowing down them. There were a few rock tables scattered throughout the room, with papers scattered on them. Computers and large screens were set up along the back wall, alive and working. A crash was heard, from their left. Shadow and Kid Flash turned toward the noise. There stood a man with blue hair. He had dropped a glass. "Hey, ol' pal, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

"I...I saw you die. How is this possible?"

"Ouch that's a little harsh don't think? You honestly believe I would let something like that kill me?" The man laughed hysterically. "You clearly do not know your Coven very well."

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OMFG! A super colossal cliff hanger! AH! I am not sure when the next chapter will be up. Finals are next week and I'm cramming all week, but I will have one up by weeks end.

READ&REVIEW!

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	18. Something Old Something Blue

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

Chapter 18- Something Old Something Blue

Hey Everyone HAPPY SUMMER!

Here is the next chapter, I will be updating on Sunday or Monday! So Look Out!

**SHOUT OUT! To piggythelaw Thanks so much for coming up the names!**

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"How long have we been walking?" The younger version of Emrick whined. The tunnel continued to become lighter but it was a long walk. Even Wally's feet were getting sore. He hadn't tried his super speed, for fear he wouldn't be able to find Emrick again. He had really come to care for the girl. The tunnel opened into a dimly lit cave with tunnel continuing on the other side. There was a small pool in the middle, the two walked over to it. Emrick jumped in, splashed around, and started laughing. Wally finally was able to see what she looked like. Auburn hair, dark eyes, even her facial features were so similar it had to be Emrick. Or maybe a clone?

"Are you sure you should be doing that?"

" I don't know, but it's so much fun!" The girl continued to splash around. "The man that looks like you is staring at me, and smiling, there in a place like us. He is walking towards me. There is a dead end, but they got it opened. A man, blue hair, he looks familiar."

" Are you seeing those people again?" Wally knew she saw through the other Emrick's eyes. She saw the team, probably on a mission trying to figure out who killed her Coven. But just knowing that the team could move on was good. Even though Wally knew, he would never truly know how they felt, until they were alone. Artemis could hide her true feelings until the end of time. And everyone knew Dick could be locked up, just like Bruce forever. Bart, on the other hand would have the hardest time holding it in. Wally hoped Kid Flash was handed down to Bart.

"Yes, the man looks nice. He is smiling." She laughed. "He has a funny accent."

Wally laughed as well "You have a pretty funny accent too". He realized something. "Wait, you can hear him?!"

Her eyes went wide. "I can hear him! That is so cool."

" Can you hear anyone else?"

" No, but younger you looks confused."

" What is the blue haired man saying?"

"You think there okay?" Superboy whispered to Miss Martian.

"Yes, I am sure. They both know what they're doing."

Nightwing was pacing in circles, making a small trench in the snow. Artemis was leaning against the door, her knees pulled close to her chest. No one had said much since the two had gone through the door. They had tried to make the plaque appear on the door again. Nothing they tried worked. Neither one of them said they had given up or admitted defeat. They just sat and waited. The trackers Nightwing had on the team showed that Kid Flash was standing in front of the door.

* * *

"How is this even possible?" Shadow asked him.

The man standing in front of them bent down and collected the broken pieces of glass. He then walked over to what had to be a trashcan. "Why don't you tell me? You're the one that's died so many times I've lost count."

" How the hell would I know that? By the time I got there, you were barely breathing, your fucking legs were gone! I can't bring people back from the dead! You of all people should know that."

" Moreover, how would I know about bringing people back? Hmm?" He said sarcastically.

"You blew up a whole town, with your experiment. Remember that? 1986 I believe." Shadow shot back. "That is still a hot zone to this day!"

" So what, like two people died."

" You bastard! Thirty-one people died! For what? A failed attempt, that Hazel, your own mother, said would never work, no matter how much power was added to that ritual!"

" You have no right to lecture me on mothers, when yours has killed you. More than once I might add."

" Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

" So your Kid Flash, I thought you would be taller. Oh, wait Kid Flash was taller, but he was just a little slow poke wasn't he?"

That set Kid Flash off, he rushed the man prepared to give him a nice right hook. The man moved a split second before he could land the punch. Kid Flash turned around to face him again when he felt a slap across his face. He held his cheek and faced his attacker.

"Shadow? What the hell was that for?" Kid Flash looked shocked.

"I'm sorry; you two cannot fight each other."

" Why, afraid I'll kill the little prick?"

" Stop it!" Shadow screamed at the man.

"Who is this guy Shadow?"

" Solomon, his father was a warlock, his mother is a witch." Shadow glared at Solomon. She had forgotten all about him. In the 70's they were close, he was a tall lean muscular man. With his dark green eyes and blue hair, he stuck out everywhere they went. But come the end of 1979, the Coven discovered he was working with Charisma. "What are you doing here anyway?"

" I went to see my mother the other day. She said you stopped by, and went to the pyramid. I know your Coven was killed. There's no way I could have gotten in here." He gestured to the cave around him. "Your dog was quite the catch when it came to research."

" Yes, Apollo was smart. We both know that, what are you looking for anyway?"

" Your parents."

Shadow was speechless. Kid Flash spoke up. "Why would you do that? Her father is dead, and we just saw her mother, back in Gotham." Superboy had filled the rest of the team in on Shadow's 'lovely' family story.

"He already knows that, he worked with my mother."

Kid Flash looked between Solomon and Shadow. "Then what are you doing here? Trying to figure out where Charisma went?"

" EHH!" Solomon sounded like a buzzer from a game show. "That is the wrong answer. What punishment shall you endure?"

" You will not touch him." Shadow was inches away from his face. " I should have left you to die back then, but I could never do that to Hazel."

" Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Kid Flash said again.

"Ah, the young and naive. Let's see where do I begin." Solomon walked around Shadow as she glared at him. "I'm going to bring Machus back." He pronounced the ch as a k sound. Making it sound as if it were German.

"Who is that?" Kid Flash asked the two of them dying to know more about their past.

"Should you tell him or shall I?" Solomon threw his arm around Kid Flash's shoulders.

"Get off me!" He shook his arm off and went to stand with Shadow.

"Machus is my father." Shadow said cautiously, meeting Solomon's eyes.

"Ah, my dear, dear girl. You have no idea how long I've wanted to talk to that man. After all the things, Charisma has said about him, I would love to compare notes. "He was a very smart man."

" Why would he want to bring back your father? I thought he died when you were younger." Kid Flash stated, remembering what Superboy had told him.

"Oh on the contrary, he died alright, but he was killed. Killed by the woman standing before us." Solomon paused letting the words hang in the air. "Everything that man knew and discovered about death and afterlife was taken by his own daughter. Everything Machus knew Shadow knows, and has kept it a secret through all the years."

" Why would you go through all that, why not just ask her for the information." That comment form Kid Flash deserved another slap from Shadow but she held back.

"I will not give it to him. No one deserves to know."

" I deserve to know!" Solomon was practically yelling at this point. "To be truly immortal is something only he knows. He was older than time itself, there has never been a successful attempt! Charisma has been a great case to study, but she won't let me kill her to test my theories."

" I'd be thrilled to help you with that one." Shadow spat at him. "You'll never find out the truth, my father was smart, he never even told my mother about the spell until after he had completed it. And even then he never explained how to properly do it."

" Well we will just have to see about that." Solomon was fast, Shadow barely saw the knife, Kid Flash saw it all. He jumped in front of Shadow as Solomon jabbed the knife in Shadow's side. He started chanting some spell. Shadow's and Solomon's auras appeared. His was a dark brown with specks of orange and gold, hers was a solid black. Kid Flash finally got a right hook against his princely looking face. Solomon smiled and backed off from Shadow, their auras disappeared.

Shadow's eyes were closed. "Shadow. Shadow!" Kid Flash was shaking her, begging her to open her eyes.

He turned to find Solomon and punch him again, but the man with the blue hair was nowhere to be found. He vanished. A rumbling sound was heard, along with the sound of a helicopter taking off. "Fuck." Kid Flash grumbled turning back to Shadow.

She wasn't responding to anything, but she was still breathing, barley. Kid Flash looked around for any type of exits. He saw a door much like the one they entered, in the far left corner. They had missed it when they walked in. He ran over to the door, praying it had a handle. It did he opened it shielding his eyes the sun was bright. The glow off the snow was blinding. He regained his sight, looked around, and saw nothing. "HEY!" He screamed hoping anyone was out there.

* * *

Miss Martian stood from her spot seated next to Superboy. "Did you just hear that?"

The rest of the team, nodded cautiously. "Come on, that was Kid." Nightwing said. The team ran towards the sound, as Kid Flash came into view. He waved his hands to signal them over. Then he disappeared through a door in the wall.

Artemis got there first, running towards an unconscious Shadow. "She's alive, but her healing won't work here. She needs medical. Now."

Nightwing said nothing as he picked Shadow up bridal style and walked out of the cave.

"Miss Martian and Superboy stay here and pull everything you can off those computers. Kid Flash and I will go with Nightwing back to Blüdhaven." Artemis gave Miss Martian a be safe look, then turned and left.

* * *

Once the team was in the air. Nightwing left the ship on autopilot and went to asses Shadow's wounds. "We haven't touched her. Should we take the knife out?" Kid Flash asked.

"Yes, her healing powers should be kicking in soon." Nightwing was hesitant, but he gripped the knife and pulled it out, off her side. It slide out easily, most of the bleeding had stopped. The wound hadn't started healing yet and Nightwing hoped it would. He could make out her small intestine through the hole.

Shadow sat straight up, then winced grabbing her side. "He...he..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "He took it." The light left her eyes as the pain took her under again.

"What do you think she's talking about?" Artemis asked.

"We should at least tape her up, until it heals." Nightwing reached for some gauze and went to work cleaning it. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. "What happened back there?"

Kid Flash had been sitting quietly watching the scene around him unfold. "Solomon, he is trying to bring Machus, Emrick's father back. I think he caused Chernobyl to explode."

Artemis and Nightwing looked between Shadow and Kid Flash. "We have to find him." Nightwing clenched his fists.

Kid Flash stood up and went to the computer. He typed a few things in and a red dot appeared on the screen. He grinned. "Never underestimate my punches.

* * *

Bart is by far my favorite character that the YJ writers added in for the second season. He had a great back story, although we never really did know how the world came to end. Oh Well! That just leaves room for FF writers to come up with a story!

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THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	19. The Lies They Tell

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

HELLO PEOPLE! HOPE YOU ENJOY! THANKS!

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Chapter 19 The Lies They Tell

"Why did you do that! You are no help to me anymore. I did not tell you to reveal our whole plan! Now she'll tell that man whore of hers, along with his whining friends."

" Look old hag I've done all your bidding for the past 45 years. You need to trust me on this one. Your daughter has no idea what we're really planning."

" Solomon if you fuck this one up again, I will personally kill you myself." Charisma shook a finger at the man in front of her. "We have worked...I have worked too long for this to be screwed over by YOU!"

" Calm down, I got what we needed." Solomon tossed the knife down on the table in front of them. "I took a hit for that, I hope you know what you're doing."

Charisma looked at the knife covered in blood. She picked it up by the handle, turning it around. She placed the knife down on the floor. "Do not touch anything, I will be back." Charisma narrowed her eyes at the blue haired man then disappeared.

Solomon looked around at Charisma's house. It was out in the middle of the Tongass forest, near the border of Alaska and Canada. He loathed the outdoors. There were shelves full of glasses and jars filled with different herbs and body parts from various animals.

The house had a deathly feeling towards it. Solomon breathed it all in. From the outside of the house, it looked to be a small log cabin. Inside was a different story. The ceiling was not visible and the doors opened up into everything but another room. He enjoyed exploring them. Some opened into different dimensions, black holes, pits with no end and even a medieval torture room.

He wasn't even sure the spell would work. He couldn't test it on anyone, since it was made special for Shadow. Her aura was awful; it was disgusting. She knew everything there is to know about everyone. She knew where and when over half of the world's population was at any point of time, even in different dimensions. Solomon shivered; he would go crazy just knowing where his mother was, that old foolish woman.

He walked back into the main room where the knife was still laying on the floor. He wondered why she needed it. Charisma came back a few hours later, with an assortment of bones, chalk, and herbs. "So what exactly are you planning on doing?"

Charisma didn't say anything; she placed her supplies on the nearest table. Taking the chalk, she drew a devil's trap around the knife. Then another one by the front door.

_What the hell is this crone doing?_ Solomon thought to himself. "You trying to raise the devil." He said aloud.

"If you are going to sass me, I'll cut your tongue off."

Solomon sat back in the chair, not saying a word. He knew that she wasn't kidding; he'd seen her do it before. Charisma stood and looked at her work. She placed the bones in a circle around the knife then sprinkled dry herbs over it.

"Light of life, dark for death. In between no one may rest. If you can see, come to me. I'll be your guide, for all eternity. Rise up to me, so you can find the trouble they've caused. You will obtain the one who stole your pride and power. Come to me, we will destroy those who have defied us. For ever and always, we will be those who they fear."

The devils trap began to glow red, the herbs blowing around it. The blood had lifted off the knife and was now floating above the ground. More blood appeared. Forming into a figure, a human figure.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Miss Martian asked Superboy.

"I spent an entire summer with Nightwing and Batman. I'm pretty sure I can hack a computer." Superboy continued to type on the keyboard. Another "access denied" popped up on the screen. He typed in more codes. The computer made odd noises and beeped a few times.

"Access Granted." The computer chimed. "Welcome, Apollo."

" You did it!" She rubbed him on back. The screens located on the back wall lit up. On the main screen there were two folders marked SHADOW and SECRET. Superboy clicked on it the first one.

"Holy shit!" Miss Martian exclaimed.

"This is...I...she...she did that?" Superboy sat back in his chair. He gave her a strange look, not sure on how to react towards her choice in words and the screen before them.

"Should we tell her we found these? Shadow clearly didn't know these were being taken."

Superboy clicked to the next album of pictures. "I don't believe this."

"So, this is why Batman and Shadow don't get along. It all makes sense now."

"This is crazy, how do think Apollo took these? There are torches in the back; cameras weren't even popular until the late 1890s." Superboy ran his fingers through his hair. "We have to tell the rest of the team about this."

They continued looking through the picture albums. They became worse as the years went on. An hour turned into four, when Nightwing radioed.

"Hang on a second and I'll get you on the screen." Superboy told him through the com.

A few seconds later Miss Martian and Superboy were looking at Nightwing. "Did you find anything?"

"Uh...yes we did but, I think we should all be here before we tell you guys". Superboy told him. "It's more of a visual anyways."

" Understood. We will be there soon. Artemis will contact you when we leave."

" Got it." Miss Martian pressed a key and the screen went back to the desktop. The background was a picture of the Coven. All six of them, they were smiling and looked genuinely happy.

Miss Martian clicked on the other folder marked SECRET it opened to show three more folders labeled TRUTH, CIRCUMSTANCES, and LIES. She hovered over the truth folder but then clicked on the lies one.

More pictures came on the screen. They were far worse than the others they had previously seen. However, Shadow and her Coven were not in them. "Go back and see what's in the other two folders.

The CIRCUMSTANCES folder had the time line of when and where Shadow had met the Coven. It showed detailed descriptions and information about their powers, strengths and weaknesses, and even their likes and dislikes. Superboy placed his hand over Miss Martian's on the mouse. They clicked on the last folder. It opened. There were only two pictures. And they definitely held the truth within.

Emrick woke up gasping for air. The nightmare only proved one thing; she had to tell the team about that night and the truth about Solomon.

Richard was sitting beside her bed looking at her. "How do you feel?"

" I...I'm not sure." She began to stand. Richard looked away. Her chest was bare, with bandages wrapped around her torso. She grabbed the covers pulling them around her. "Sorry."

Richard turned to look at her dark eyes. "I'm the one who should be saying that. I promised I wouldn't leave you again and I did." He rested his elbows on his knees then put his head in his hands.

Emrick swung her legs around and sat on the edge of the bed, their knees touching. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." She put a hand on his leg. "You showed me all the good things in this world. I need to tell you, all of you something I should have from the beginning. I remem..."

Richard smashed his lips on hers. He picked her up; she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her back slammed against the wall. Richard's hands roamed her body, feeling every inch of her. Emrick deepened the kiss, running her tongue along his bottom lip begging for entrance. He let her in. They both moaned in pleasure.

Emrick pulled back first. "Richard." She said breathlessly. "This...we shouldn't."

Richard closed his eyes, letting Emrick stand between him and the wall. He placed his hands on both sides of her head on the wall. She placed hers on his face bringing it up so she could see his bright blue eyes.

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "I...we."

"Shh." She hugged him close.

Richard sat down in the bed, putting his head in his hands again. He let out a sigh. "What we're you going to say, before..."

"Richard, I remember. I remember everything."

* * *

AND THE PLOT THICKENS!

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THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	20. Into The Darkness

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

Sorry everyone for the delay. I landed back in the States early this morning, but I vowed not to sleep until this chapter was finished and up! So you guys read and enjoy and I am going to go to sleep now! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!

UPDATED! i.e I put line breaks in. Sorry, I knew I forgot something!

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 20 Into the Darkness

"What do you mean by that?"

"When Solomon stabbed me, he took my blood along with some of my memories. Sort of like a copy.

"Wait, Superboy, and Miss Martian found something at Apollo's bunker. Let's get back to Iceland and then you can tell everyone what Solomon did." Richard said not looking at her. He just wanted an out. If he stayed in that room any longer, he would do much more than just kiss her. "I'll let you get dressed; we'll leave in about an hour."

" Yes, okay thanks."

Richard walked out of the room a little faster than he wanted to. Closing the door, he leaned against it wishing he had said something more. He covered his mouth then ran his fingers through his hair. He stood and walked back down the hall, towards the computer room where Artemis and Bart would be waiting.

"So, Chernobyl wasn't an accident?" He heard Artemis ask.

"Well according to what Emrick and Solomon were talking about it sure sounded that way, thirty-one people die, 1986, it's still a hot zone." Bart said repeating what Emrick had said. "She said that he needed more power or energy to bring back Machus, her father."

Richard slumped down into the nearest couch. He didn't seem to notice two pair of eyes following him. He groaned and stood, pacing back and forth.

"Is Emrick okay?" Bart asked.

"She is getting dressed. Her wound is fine and she has things to tell us about Solomon. We're leaving in an hour, so gear up." He strolled out of the room, not looking back.

"Uh Bart, why don't you go gather the gear." Artemis said. Bart opened his mouth to protest but didn't say anything. He walked towards the ship. While Artemis walked, off to find Richard.

"Okay, spill."

" What?"

" Oh, come on. You're aggravated about something. And my money's on Emrick am I right?"

Richard didn't look up from his seat in front of the computer. "I'll take that as a yes." Artemis turned his chair around and pulled another over to sit in front of him. "What happened?"

" I lost control." Richard took a deep breath. "She went along with it though, but then she pulled back."

" You kissed her?" Artemis said quietly, not really surprised. "And you think it was...?"

" I'm not sure. Artemis she's, she's important to me. I'm just going to screw it up. I always do. Zatanna and Barbara they were great but I couldn't hold on to them. Emrick is Emrick. She was my first real friend."

" Dick you are your own person. You're great at what you do."

His shoulders relaxed and he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "You wanna know why I named her Emrick?"

" Tell me." Artemis scooted forward.

"I found her when I was two. She was only a few hours old. When she began to talk, all she said was Shadow. Even when she regained her memories, she called herself Shadow. A few months after I turned seven, my mother announced she was pregnant. The night they died was going to be her last show until the baby was born. My parents were playing around with names. My mother told me if it was a girl she wanted to name her Emma. My father wanted another boy, named Alaric." Richard smiled. "They couldn't stop talking about it."

" You used the names they picked, to create Emrick's. Dick, you're in love with her, aren't you?"

" I...I don't know." His smiled vanished, replaced with a frustrated frown.

"Are...you...guys...ready...?" Emrick said cautiously. "Is everything okay?"

" Emrick I..." Richard started.

"I wanted to know if you're feeling okay and up for returning to the bunker." Artemis interrupted him.

"Uh, yes I'm ready." Emrick resisted the urge to filter through their thoughts. Something was going on but she didn't want to start anything. Making anyone mad before she told them everything wasn't how she planned the rest of the day to go.

"That's great to hear. I'll get a hold of Superboy, and tell them we're on our way." Artemis walked out, followed by Richard. He couldn't look her in the eyes; Emrick sighed and followed them to ship.

* * *

Wally had been waiting patiently. Emrick was still staring off in to space. She screamed once, but nothing happened. She smiled before speaking. "She likes him."

" Who are you talking about?"

"The girl and a man with really blue eyes." Her smile widened.

Wally didn't know what to say. Dick was his best friend; no he IS his best friend. No matter what he had put him and Artemis through. It was his own fault he was dead. Not Dick's.

The girl stood and shook like a dog after a bath. Her clothes dried instantly. Wally could see what she was wearing. She had on a blue shirt with ruffles down the front and black legging pants, she wasn't wearing any shoes. He on the other hand had come to realize that he was still in his Kid Flash uniform.

She continued to walk towards the other side of the cave into the tunnel. He followed behind her. There was light coming in through the tunnel; he could just barely see it. The ceiling was higher than their previous tunnel, but not as wide.

Wally had been too busy looking at the landscape he lost track of the girl. "Emrick." He whispered. No answer. "Emrick." He said louder this time. A small shriek was heard farther in the tunnel. He ran towards, he could indeed use his speedster powers. He found a man Emrick's hair was in his fist. There were tears falling down her face. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Who are you?!" The man yelled with a strong Scottish accent.

"Kid Flash." He put the girl down. She ran over to Wally, hugging his leg. "You're one of Shadow's men."

"Indeed I am. How did you know?" He said looking Wally dead in the eyes.

Wally told the story of how the team met Shadow, what he knew from the few days he was with them and what he learned after waking up here. The words flew out of his mouth, he couldn't control it. Once he was finished, the man was laughing.

He wiped a tear from his eye before speaking. "You my friend are one of the lucky ones. Shadow would have squashed you like a bug. Lad, your mental defenses suck ass. I'm Vicken by the way. And you must be my little Shadow." Vicken walked over and knelt down in front of Emrick. "I'm sorry I scared you lassy. You're much younger than the last time I saw you."

Emrick locked eyes with him. She took in his broad shoulders and muscular frame. His cheekbones were striking matching his chiseled arms that were as large if not larger than Emrick's head. His pricing sea green eyes stared back into her dark brown ones. "I know you."

* * *

Norham Castle, Scotland - 1498

"My lady, please sit down we will be there momentarily." Sylas said. They were in the newest version of the horse drawn carriage.

"This is enticing, is it not?" She said, finally taking a seat inside. The carriage was sleek black with white and sliver trimmings around the door and around the top and bottom. The horses were an elegant white. There strong legs pulling the two of them with the driver sitting in front.

Shadow looked out the curtianless window, gazing up at the vast towers of the castle before her. It was huge. The carriage went under the west gate. The archway was built with large tan stones and bricks. The Great Tower was the first thing she saw, it was the only thing she saw. It stood about 90 feet tall. Riding around the Tower the Inner Ward was visible. They pulled up to the outskirts of the Great Hall.

The driver opened the door the door for Shadow and Sylas to step out. My Lady, My Lord I present to you." He made a gesture "Norham Castle."

" Oh it is wonderful!" Shadow said excitedly. She gathered her long green gown and ran towards the entrance. She was met with two maids.

Sylas was right behind her. He placed a hand on the small of her back as a tall muscular man approached them dressed as a general.

"How do you do, my lady?" He said taking her hand to kiss it.

"I am doing most well today. May I ask who you are?"

" General Vicken Burkhart, but please call me Vicken. The battle is over and now the repairs begin. Norham Castle was destroyed in the War of Roses. Just last year, this was unrecognizable but now-" Vicken had brought them inside to The Great Hall. "We have a wonderful feast planned for your arrival and to the completion of the castle. My dearest apologizes My lady I have yet to ask you for your name." He turned to face Shadow who was looking up at the ceiling.

"I am Sylas, the Lady's partner." Vicken looked at the stranger before him. He was taller than most men were, and dressed in clothes that would not have been found in these parts of Scotland let alone this decade.

Vicken put on his best smile, picked up a mug full of some sort of alcohol, and handed it to Sylas. "It is great to have you aboard lad, please make yourself at home." Vicken did not like this man. He took a silent vow to protect Sylas's 'partner' from any form of harm.

"You may call me Shadow." She smiled at both men, already knowing how the night would end. "Would you mind taking the time to show a lady around such an enormous and beautiful castle? Surely, there is something interesting around here. I would love to hear stories of the bold and brave General Burkhart."

Sylas shot Shadow a glare, but oddly enough he smiled and let her go, but his eyes deceived his decision. Vicken took Shadow's hand and led her outside.

They walked in silence for a while, gazing up the as the sun set behind the castle, casting a light glow against their faces. Vicken glanced towards Shadow watching her.

"It is not polite to stare." She giggled.

"I was just thinking that man you travel with are you engaged to him?"

"Sylas? Of course not. He takes care of me. He has been acting odd recently. I am not going to lie to you; Sylas does not look kindly at other men. He is protective of me." She said this as if reading from a script she had memorized.

"Are you sure you can trust this man?" Vicken asked not sure why he found Sylas unsettling.

"I trust him with my life. He has been with me throughout my few short lifetimes." He gave her an exasperated look, unsure if he heard her correctly.

"Lifetimes?" He said drawing out the 's'.

"Yes, I have a gift as well as Sylas, and you." She stopped and stood in front of him.

"I do not understand." He knew of course what she was talking about. No one had ever called him on it before.

"You win all battles you partake in. Your men look to you as if you are their God, and follow every order no matter the request. I have been watching you for some time now." Shadow kept her face neutral not letting any emotions show, waiting to see if he would take her seriously.

"I am a great leader." He said making a pose only a man in charge could pull off. "My battle skills and tactics always win."

"Not those, the ones with your mind. You can control people."

" I will tell you everything, if you can keep your partner at bay." Vicken nodded towards the corner of the of the wall. Sylas emerged from behind it. "I made him allow you to accompany me, but did not mention anything about staying inside." Vicken smirked. "Very clever, clever indeed."

" I do not enjoy being told what to do." Sylas had a stern look on his face. "We came here to talk to you, both of us." He glared at Shadow. She smiled happily at him, making him more irritated.

"Talk to me, what for?"

"To join us." Shadow clung to his jacket. "I am gathering an army of my own; only certain men will be drafted."

" Sign me up." Vicken looked directly at Sylas, fire burning in both of their eyes.

* * *

"So Wally is it?" Vicken asked after he finished telling his story. No one else had said much. "How did you end up here?"

" I guess I died." Wally said rubbing the back of his neck.

"You guess?"

" I remember running, trying to stop a chrysalised Reach device before it destroyed the world. That didn't exactly turn out as planned." Wally's smile was forced. "If I ever make it back, my girlfriend will probably kill me." He let out an awkward chuckle.

"Ah, young love. I hope you have yourself a good lassy."

Emrick was walking in front of them. The cave was becoming lighter and lighter as the continued.

"So this riddle the team found, did you know about it?" Wally asked changing the subject.

"The oldest is the worst. The accepted comes to work. The hunter comes to triumph. The remembered is to forget. Yes, the Coven and I wrote that in the early 1900's. We would have added Axel into it but we never got the chance. Did Shadow figure it out? It was actually Axel's idea to make it a riddle, knowing the original one she should have known which line went with each of us."

" We did figure out what the riddle said. But she wasn't sure what they meant."

" That's odd she would have known right away."

" She was not thinking properly." Emrick turned around and walked backwards as she talked to the two men. "She had just seen the men she loved die before her eyes. What would you be thinking if you saw her die?" She looked at Wally. "Or Artemis?"

"The kid has a point." Vicken said.

Wally laughed. "You know you're much smarter than you look." They continued to walk in silence. Before Wally had to ask the question that had been bugging him, sense they found Vicken. "The riddle, who was who?"

" The remember is to forget was Heath. He never forgot anything. Always knowing what would happen next and how people felt and if they are lying. The hunter comes to triumph, was Apollo. Shadow always liked him they worked perfectly together. Plus the lad was a dog. The accepted comes to work, that was I. After I left Scotland, I never worked a day in my life again. I could get anything I wanted just by looking at someone"

"So that leaves Sylas right?" Shadow had not mentioned much of him.

"She really didn't figure it out did she?" Vicken took a deep breath before continuing. "We all knew what Sylas was planning. What we didn't know was that he knew that we knew. The rest of the Coven was bait. That night, the night we died we were too late. Shadow saw us die."

" I saw all of you die too." Emrick stopped, looking down at her feet. "She won't let herself remember it. The nightmares she has are me trying to make her remember. She needs to remember."

Vicken leaned down and wrapped the little girl in his arms. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

" We have to get out of here, how long have you been here?" Wally asked Vicken. "Do you think the rest of the Coven is here somewhere?"

" I guess I've been here sense I died, but there is that possibility. If we keep walking, we might find the rest of them. Then we might find a way out of this place. Lassy do you know where here is?"

Wally watched her reaction, he had thought of asking her but he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. The girl stood, letting go of Vicken. She walked over towards the nearest wall and knocked on it. The sound echoed all around them. She walked back to the men. The ground started to shake and a podium like structure rose up in front of them. Vicken and Wally stepped closer to read it what was on it. There was only one word carved into it.

Purgatorium

* * *

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THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	21. Demons From The Dark Side

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

ENJOY!

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 21 - Demons From The Dark Side

"Superboy its Tigress we're on our way. And you owe me twenty bucks."

"Damn it, he kissed her?" Superboy sounded off.

"Oh yes he did. So you better pay up." Artemis ended the call before he could answer. She smiled hoping things would go back to a weird normal around here. She couldn't have been more wrong.

The trip was quiet, very quiet. Richard was still sulking and couldn't think of a good excuse to talk to Emrick. Bart knew something had happened but wasn't sure how to interject he wasn't even sure if he wanted to. Artemis was attempting to hold a straight face. She knew how Richard acted in situations like this, he would think he had completely screwed up and keep his distance for too long, and the girl would be gone. Of those who knew he was Nightwing knew this routine but those girls who didn't thought he was strange, hot, but strange.

They arrived at the crater. Miss Martian was waiting for them at the second door. The team followed her to where the computers were. Superboy was looking at the main screen; the screen showed the desktop with two folders placed in the middle SHADOW and SECRET. He didn't seem to register they had entered. The team took a seat in the many lounge chairs scattered around the room. Miss Martian took the computer chair next to Superboy.

"No one will say a word, no one will leave and no one makes a move." Superboy stated bluntly. Without letting anyone answer, he clicked on the first folder marked SHADOW. The photos came on the screen. The room seemed to grow colder.

The first few pictures were of Shadow and Axel they were looking down at a man. He was laying on a metal table with a blanket draped across his middle. Axel and Shadow had a scalpel in their hands. The next few were of them cutting the man; they were performing an autopsy at least that's what it looked like. The last picture the man was very much alive. He had leaned forward. His chest was opened; his intestines were spilling out on his lap. Blood covered his body. His eyes were racked with pain and focused on the camera. Axel seemed to be laughing, while Shadow had a wicked grin, her eyes filled with adrenaline.

Superboy closed the album and continued on to the next one. This one had stop motion photography. The first one had about twenty girls no older than fifteen. They were in a large room, with no windows and the walls were a teak color. The door was not visible. Axel, Vicken, Sylas, and Heath were standing in different corners in the room. The girls were seated at five round tables; they had food in front of them and seemed to be enjoying themselves. By the way they were dressed the pictures were from the 1930's.

Then Shadow was seen. She was walking around the tables, a fake smile plastered on her face. She had a large chef's knife in her hand. All the girls noticed the knife, their eyes widend with fear. An unsettling smile formed on her face. The walls were streaked with blood, Axel had slit four throats, blood splattered on his face. Apollo had had gone for their abdomens tearing them apart like a rabid animal. Sylas was seen cutting fingers off the screaming girls before decapitating them. Heath had not touched any of them. They were staring at him. Their eyes glazed over as if in a trance. They opened their mouths. They were screaming even if the pictures could not capture the torturest sound. Heath walked up to each girl and in a second, he had snapped their necks, each body dropping with dead weight.

There were over thirty different stop motion photographs albums. All exactly like the first one. Except the clothes of everyone kept changing. It was a step back in time. The scenes were all the same. Twenty to forty girls, all happy and eating. Then Shadow walks in. And the place turns to hell.

Superboy closed the folder, and clicked on the next one SECRET. The same three folders came on the screen, TRUTH, CIRCUMSTANCES and LIES. No one dared to look away from the screen. The LIES folder held more pictures of gruesome murders. Some were of one person brutal beaten or carved until it was unrecognizable. Others had multiple people or looked to be many people. There was body parts scattered throughout a ditch. From first look, there was about forty to fifty heads, lying among the many body parts. The heads were both men and women of various ages and ethnicity.

The CIRCUMSTANCES folder was a relief to the team. No one had spoken as they were told. There was the Coven's back-story, where they came from, their powers and how they met Shadow.

The last folder held the two pictures that would reveal everything about that night. The night Shadow's Coven died.

The first picture was of a ballroom. The walls were painted a brilliant red with gold trimmings all around. Many glass chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. Shadow was standing in the middle of the room. Surrounded by dead bodies, recently killed. Her red dress was darker in most places, she was covered in blood. She had a knife in both her hands. Her face was streaked with tears and blood. Her hair was curled but matted with blood and guts.

The next picture looked as if it was taken from a sci-fi movie. It was of the same room from the previous picture. Lights were seen from behind a figure standing in the far left. It was a side view of a man. His arms were raised out in front of him he was facing Shadow who was slumped on the floor. Her legs were bent at odd angles. Shadow was on her stomach, the tips of two knife blades were seen protruding from her back. She was attempting to stand but her arms seem too weak to lift her. Shadow's face showed fear, pain, and determination. Her eyes were focused on the man standing before her. The team recognized the man from the pictures.

Superboy turned the screen off. There was nothing more to show. The team sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Eyes began to turn and look at a certain girl. She was staring at the blank screen. Unsure what to think or do. Her eyes filled with tears. They rolled down her cheeks and off her chin. Her mouth positioned in a firm straight line.

Shadow clasped her hands tightly in her lap. Knowing that whatever she said at this point would not make a difference.

Tigress was not here anymore, Artemis's world was closing in on her. She had trusted her. She was a friend. Artemis stood walking over to Shadow slapping her across the face. Shadow didn't move to deflect it; neither did she move after as a red mark appeared on her cheek. "You are a monster! We helped you, protected you! And look at what you've done!" Her words stabbed Shadow worse than the knives had that night. Artemis sat back down in her chair, her head in her hands.

Nightwing stood tore of his mask grabbing the nearest white jacket and walked out.

Superboy and Miss Martian didn't say anything or react. They saw the way Nightwing's face looked when he left. The way Artemis had acted. Bart was still staring at the blank computer screen, deciding if what he saw was real.

"We can't jump to conclusions." Superboy wasn't about to let this out of proportion. "I'm not discussing this until everyone can think rationally."

Superboy turned and went back to work. Miss Martian nodded in agreement.

Kid Flash began to pace. Thinking what he needed to say, if anything at all. He trusted Shadow, no matter what those pictures showed. He looked over at her, begging her to look up. She hadn't said anything. She was still staring at her hands. Shadow must have felt him staring, she glanced up at him. He motioned his head towards the hallway they had walked down. She stood not looking at anyone. Knowing they wouldn't bother to stop her.

"The pictures are true then?"

"Yes." She didn't know what else to say. Shadow had lied to them all. She thought she could avoid this. Just telling them enough to get by, then she would disappear into the night like a shadow during the sunset.

"You killed all those people." Bart had so many questions. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, it's hard to explain."

"Try me."

She took a deep breath. "Me, this Shadow, am different. I don't, I never want to kill people. But I have memories and feelings from the earlier me, which killed thousands."

" I understand that. Those last two pictures. That was you, really you."

Shadow leaned against the wall. Her hand over her stomach, trying to keep calm. "Yes." She choked out.

"Why?"

" I don't remember, I didn't want to remember. It was too painful."

" And now?"

" The nightmares were becoming worse. I guess it was my minds way of making me remember." She slid down the ragged rock wall letting it scrape against her back. "They all knew something was a going on, why didn't, why couldn't they tell me."

"Maybe they knew you had changed. I mean you lived with them long enough that they should be able to tell." Bart said joining her on the ground. He put an arm around her; she laid her head on his shoulder. "I do not think any different of you. From what I've learned and seen this past week you are nothing like that girl." He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

Richard kept walking. The cold air whipping around him. He ignored it, letting it numb his face as he jammed his hands deeper into his pockets. He didn't know what to do. He lost Wally, now he wasn't sure if he had lost or even wanted anything to do with 'her'.

"I can't." He said to no one. Kicking the snow around his feet like a child.

"What are we going to do?" She walked up behind him. Richard jumped. She was surprised; no one could sneak up on the previous Boy Wonder.

He turned to face a certain archer. "We can't let her get away with this. It's murder." She whispered the last word.

"I know."

" All those innocent girls. Lock her up in Arkham that sounds like a good idea. Dick, we have to do something."

"I know."

"Then do it. Since you know everything."

" What's wrong with you? Not five hours ago, you were the one that told me I was in love with her. I can't." He stood still trying to regain his composure. "I can't fight her. I don't even want to look at her. Artemis we need a plan."

* * *

"Purgatorium." Wally said, the word rolling of his tongue. "Isn't that Latin for purgatory?"

"I found this when I went north, the wall that blocked my path when I bumped into it this thing came up. I don't know what purgatorium is." Emrick said barely pronouncing the word.

"It's a practice of praying and caring for the dead. It dates back to before Jesus. It wasn't until the late 1100's that people started seeing it as an actual place not just a state between heaven and hell. Some believed that it was where the deceased went to be judged in the afterlife, deciding whether they went to heaven or hell." Vicken stated bluntly.

"So are we really dead?" Wally asked.

"Well do you feel dead, I sure as hell don't."

Emrick had a look on her face. Something that resembled frustration, pain, and sadness. "We need to keep moving." She said quietly.

"Lassy, I know you do, but we need to think this through." Vicken said patting the child on the back.

"I actually agree with Emrick, this isn't exactly something we can plan out."

" Okay I'm out voted let's keep moving."

They continued down the narrow tunnel, leaving behind the disappearing podium. The walk was quiet only their faint footsteps were heard. "Did you hear that?" Vicken asked.

It sounded like rocks being thrown against the wall. Voices were coming from around a slight bend. A strong English mixed accent was heard followed by a strong German one.

"Can you tie 'em in a bow. Can you throw them over your shoulder. Like a continental soldier. Oh Susannah oh don't you cry for me all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."

"You don't even know the words! Shut up!"

Emrick gripped Wally's hand tighter. Wally glanced at Vicken unsure what to think. Vicken released a smile.

* * *

"Do you think they'll understand?" Shadow finally asked. The hadn't said anything for a while. Shadow swore she kept hearing a child's voice, but she blamed it on the lack of sleep.

"We will make them understand. Come on enough moping around. Let's go." Bart stood holding out his hand she took it, standing up.

They walked together towards the main room. Superboy and Miss Martian were seated together on a couch in the far part of the room. They stopped talking when the two walked in.

"I don't judge people for what they did in the past. The point is that you are trying to fix this. That is the only thing that matters. No matter what anyone else says Megan and I are still going to help you."

" We don't trust you as much but we will help you finish this." Megan said locking eyes with Emrick. Just as she, finished Artemis and Richard walked back in shaking off the snow.

Emrick looked at four pair of eyes before stopping at a pair of deep blue ones. "Good we're all here. No one here has the right to trust me. If you have any doubts about it, there's the exit." Emrick pointed towards the door where Artemis and Richard stood. No one moved. Emrick smiled inside, she couldn't mess this up now.

"As I was telling Richard earlier, when Solomon stabbed me he took some blood and a copy of some memories. The memories were of my father, the night he died. Charisma is trying to bring him back. And she might succeeded this time." She stopped talking to look at the reaction of the team. They all kept their poker faces on, this was a mission and nothing would change that. "Sylas is still alive and out there. He had everything to do with my Coven's death. And he is working with my mother. The picture you saw of me in the ballroom, was the night the Coven died. Sylas can control the elements, and the body is made up of 60% water. He can control peoples actions that way. He knew those knives could not kill me. He made me kill all those people. And now we are going to kill him. But first we need to find my mother, and I know exactly where to start." She walked over to the keyboard, her fingers rapidly typing in codes.

A map of the United States appeared on the screen. A red dot was blinking near the border of Alaska and Canada. "That's the tracker I punched onto Solomon." Bart said with a grin.

"That is where we go next."

* * *

The next chapter will up within the next week and a half. Until then!

READ&REVIEW!

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	22. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

ENJOY!

~My Light Of Life

* * *

Chapter 22 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The internal clock ticked away in his head telling him it had just passed the six hour mark.

He was in a cage.

_A giant ass birdcage._ He thought. _Great._

He was still too weak to try to escape. That much he knew. A man with blue hair had brought him a meal earlier; stale bread and some not a so clean looking water.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been dead or even what year it was. All he knew was he had to get out of here find Shadow and end this once and for all.

The door to his room opened. He stood pressing his face against the bars trying to see around the corner. The man with blue hair walked in followed by a woman he knew all too well.

"I see you can stand now." Charisma said running her hand along the bars. "So I'm going all out cliché, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

He sat down on the floor not looking the woman in the eyes. He knew her tricks, but was unsure of how many new ones she had learned. "I know what you want. And you know I can take pain. So this leaves us at a stalemate, am I right?"

Solomon huffed trying to cover a laugh. Charisma glowered at him. "Do you have something you would like to add, Solomon? Hmm?"

Solomon grumbled a few words under his breath. "They'll never fall for it."

"Solomon, is it? How did you become wrapped up in this kind of mess?" The man smirked hoping to get a rise from him.

"That's none of your business. I, we are here for your certain psyche."

Charisma knew he wouldn't talk. She glared at Solomon again. He always revealed too much of a plan. She wasn't about to let that happen again. She walked towards the door, motioning for Solomon to follow.

He was alone, for how long he wasn't sure. He needed a plan and the first thing was to figure out where the hell he was. The room was dark except for the light glow around the corner he could only guess was the door. It smelled of the outdoors and he kept hearing birds chirping. There was a draft coming through the ceiling it was cold, really cold. He narrowed his search down even further by the clothes Charisma and Solomon were wearing. Floor length red gown, with a neck too deep for someone her age even if she didn't look a day over 30. Charisma was never bothered by the cold she enjoyed it. Solomon on the other hand was wrapped form head to toe in multiple layers. He couldn't come up with an exact location, from the little amount of information he learned.

_Somewhere cold, that's for sure._ He thought.

He ran his hand through his dark hair. He sat on the floor, crossed his legs the best he could in the small space. He placed his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes he let his mind wonder. Hoping to find her.

Solomon and Charisma walked back into the main room when the door opened. Charisma smiled when she saw him. "You're a little late."

"You missed one hell of a show. I'm still stunned that it didn't back fire." Solomon laughed.

"Well thanks to your little mishap at Chernobyl we were able to perfect the spell. I assume he hasn't said much, but that will all change. The little runt is heading our way with the whole pack in tow." Sylas sneered.

"How the hell did she find us so quickly?" Charisma asked. "This place is sealed, no magic and no powers can be detected inside." She said this as Sylas walked over and yanked a small chip from Solomon's inside jacket collar.

"You let them track you? You are on thin ice, very thin." Sylas glared at him. "They are arriving before we're ready, that's all on you." Sylas took a step back prepared to leave but slammed his foot in Solomon's chest. He toppled over, trying to catch his breath.

"I don't know how they got that on me, I swear." Solomon said gasping for air. "They didn't even...touch...me...god damn it. The kid punched me!" he said. "That little prick!"

"Well 'that little prick' out smarted you. I'm not surprised. If it weren't for your mothers witch craft, you'd be withering away in the ground right now. That's where she should be anyways, that old vixen is worth nothing."

Solomon wanted to fight back, but he had to prove he wasn't a complete screw up, and by keeping his mouth, shut when they bashed about his mother was a start. Hazel had a spell; it would slow down the aging process by more than half. But they could die just as any normal human could.

* * *

"Do you know who they are?" Wally whispered to Vicken.

Vicken did not answer; he kept walking towards the voices with that strange smile plastered on his face. "Something's never change, do they?"

Wally heard laughter and what he thought was high fives and slaps on backs. Vicken popped his head around the corner. "Come on." Emrick ran to catch up Wally right behind her. "I'd like you to meet, the freak and the dog otherwise known as Heath and Apollo."

Wally shook hands with them, while Emrick was greeted with tight hugs. "Wally West, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Heath eyed Wally up and down why, Wally didn't know or even wanted to. But he still smiled. Apollo was well, different. "You have no idea how happy I am to final see a new face. God knows no one can stand this one for very long." Apollo motioned to Heath.

"At least I don't make up songs with different songs." Heath snapped back. Apollo stuck his tongue out. Wally couldn't help but laugh.

"Cut it out you two." Vicken glared at the two grown children before him. "We have other more important things to worry about right now. Sylas has finally completed his plan. He destroyed the Coven and brought Shadow back together with the League."

"Sylas wanted Shadow with the League?" Wally asked. "No one on the team has any League obligations; they're still under the command of Nightwing. He receives missions from League, but the most they interact is through webcam."

"Sylas knew that if she didn't have the Coven, Shadow would seek out her old friends for help." Vicken stated.

"And of course he was right, Sylas can never be wrong." Heath interjected.

"So what exactly was Sylas planning?" Wally asked only knowing the vague portion of the story.

"He wanted the Coven gone, having no real interest in it from the beginning. Sylas and Charisma are working together; she brought Solomon in because of the risks he is willing to take. All they want is the information that Shadow has. Immortality, true immortality. Machus is the only known being that has the ability to create such things." Apollo stated. "Charisma knew Shadow would never tell her anything. Bringing Machus back would be the only other choice."

Wally was thinking hard trying to process the new information. He wished they could talk to the team right about now. Emrick hadn't mentioned what they were doing for a while, he needed to know.

"Telepathy." Wally said, "Why not use telepathy?"

"Oh of course, why didn't we think of that?" Heath snapped, rolling his eyes. "If this was as easy as reading someone's mind don't you think we would've done that first?"

Vicken glared at Heath. "It doesn't matter anymore. If everything went as planned Sylas will be with Charisma and Solomon soon. Which means Machus is alive."

* * *

They had decided to leave in the morning; everyone needed and deserved a good night's sleep. With a few glances between the team, they had silently agreed not to mention the pictures to anyone. Emrick hadn't said much, no one had said much after they saw everything and the tracker. The trip back to Blüdhaven was long. The tension in the air was too thick, making it hard for everyone to settle down or even breathe.

They landed and dispersed going to their rooms.

It was almost 2 a.m. when Bart knocked on her door. No one answered. He knocked again, the door slowly crept opened. She was half-awake, but didn't look like she had actually been sleeping. "I acted out. I know that."

"You did, and you never gave her a chance to explain. We've all done things we regret, things we should've said. We have our past's we wish would stay where it belongs."

She opened the door and stepped back, letting him inside. She took a seat on the bed, he settled in overly large chair in the corner.

"What are we going to do now?" Bart asked her.

"This is our mission, we do what we do best- beat the bad guys."

"Right." He sighed. "She's not the bad guy in the situation."

"Sure doesn't look that way from here. You saw what she did."

"Artemis, what did the team think of you when they learned about your family?"

"That was different."

"How exactly was that different?" He countered.

"I didn't kill anyone!" She said harshly.

He knew she would say that. "Did you ever think she never wanted to kill people? You know as much as I do that she's not who she was."

Artemis huffed. "She should've told us. I am not going to sit here and whine about what things could've been like. That's not how I handle things." She stood stretching

Bart smiled. "You're going to talk to her?"

"That's not how I handle things." She snarled.

Bart wasn't sure what she was planning, he could only hope. He nodded, stood, and walked down the hall towards his room.

Artemis waited until she was sure Bart was in his room. She heard the click of his door. Then headed towards the gym, three floors below ground level. It was empty, _Good._

She went straight towards the hologym. Needing a good fight, she chose Black Canary as her opponent. The hologram appeared in front of her for a few seconds before it disappeared.

Emrick stood near the controller. Her shirt was a deep red with rips down the side, as if a wolf hand clawed at it. She wore black running pants, with a red strip down the side. Artemis had on a loose grey t-shirt and white spandex shorts. They both knew what was happening. Shadow took off her shoes to make it even, placing them on the table. The two women knew this was going to be bad.

Emrick had barely stepped into the ring before Artemis's fist collided with her cheek; shattering a tooth, she tasted blood. Emrick raised her arms up to block her next punch. Artemis took a step back, leaving an opening, Emrick charged her. They both fell to the ground arms and legs in a tangled mess. She landed two blows to the blonde's stomach. Artemis attempted to stand. Emrick socked her in the left temple. She was swaying, but caught herself with the table. Straightening herself, she faked a left hook. When Emrick went to block it Artemis used it as leverage and grabbed her head slamming it into the corner of the table. She sunk to the ground her breath shaky and uneven. Artemis watched as the blood started to flow down Emrick's face. She gripped the edge of the table, steadying herself. Artemis didn't wait for her to recover; she threw different combinations of punches her way. Emrick's hands rose sluggishly, covered in blood as she tried to grab Artemis's wrists. She dodged Emrick, circling back behind her. Artemis didn't see the girl's elbow swung back snapping her head to the side. There was a loud crunching sound as Artemis hit the floor. She cringed ignoring the pain in her left shoulder. She stood once again preparing for the next round of punches. She swung her left leg, making contact with Emrick's ribs, another crunching sound was heard. She grabbed her side. Artemis saw the opening and ran towards her she swung her right leg this time, throwing all her weight into it. Emrick fell to floor, she lay there wheezing trying to keep her breath steady.

Artemis stood over Emrick, placing a foot at the base of her neck near her collar bone. She applied pressure, enough to make Emrick gasp. Emrick dug her nails into the archer's ankles. The pressure increased. She choked and gasped for air. Emrick let go of her ankles placing her palms above head on the ground. She pushed with all her strength. Artemis fell forwards, as Emrick did a back flip while landing a kick under Artemis's chin. She collapsed on the ground. Emrick's hands were slick with blood, causing her to slip and fall back.

Their breathing was rapid; blood covered their clothes and the floor. They stayed on the floor, unsure of who would make the next move. Their heads where inches from each other. Neither one of them could tell whose blood was whose. Artemis sat up turned to face the girl before her. Unwilling to fight an opponent that couldn't fight back she crouched to stand, when Emrick lunged forward wraping her hands around Artemis's torso. Her back slammed into the wall. She grunted as yet another crunching sound was heard.

Emrick stood looking at the blonde before her. There was more red than blonde. "You'd make a hot red head."

"Red's not really my color." Artemis puffed out. "Yours either." She grunted. Using the wall as a support, she slowly stood up. Artemis wasn't finished. She straightened herself as best she could. Taking a step closer, they circled each other.

Artemis rolled her shoulders already feeling stiff. Soreness would kick in then she'd really be in trouble.

Emrick went in for a left straight, then right uppercut. Her right shoulder screamed in pain. Her eyes welled with tears; she fought them back no one would ever see her cry again. Artemis ducked each blow. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Trying to gain momentum, Emrick blocked her roundhouse kick, but stumbled backwards. She regained her footing throwing wild swings, trying to land a mark. Artemis bobbed and weaved around her punches. She saw an opening, rushing Emrick she tried another roundhouse kicked. Her foot collided with Emrick's right collarbone. Hearing a painstakingly crack, she did a front flip landing another blow, this time near the right side of her neck. Emrick screamed in protest. This left her right arm dangling beside her, her shoulder had shifted to an unnatural angle. Emrick grinned exposing her blood-drenched teeth.

Artemis was not about to loose this fight.

Emrick was good at faking it; she was worse off than she thought. She took a step forward focusing on staying up right. Artemis took the opening and swung a left uppercut snapping Emrick's head up. Her eyes rolled back, her body went limp, and she fell to the floor with a hard thump. The last crunching noise was heard, Artemis was sure it was her ankle by the way it twisted as she fell.

Emrick rolled onto her back; she heard Artemis slide down the wall. It was quiet, only their ragged breathing was heard. "So you can be hurt." Artemis whispered. "Good to know."

"I'm not the type to bring a knife to a fist fight." Emrick took deep uneven breaths. Her mind was telling her to heal, but Emrick wanted to suffer, to feel the pain. She knew Artemis had a few broken bones and a concussion, they both did.

The room was quiet for a while. Their breathing returned to normal. Emrick sat up, painfully. She saw Artemis a few feet away, their eyes locked. With that one glance, Artemis knew Emrick wasn't the bad guy.

Artemis half crawled over toward Emrick. Emrick placed her hands on Artemis's left shoulder, then stomach followed by her head. Emrick then healed herself. They decided to keep bruises, as a reminder.

They walked back up stairs together, heading towards the kitchen. Emrick had Conner, Bart, and hopefully Megan with her. She still needed to talk to Richard. She sighed.

"He'll come around. Trust me."

Emrick smiled, not really meaning it. It would take more than just a fight to have Richard. They'd both been through so much, all of them had.

But as the saying goes -

_The Rules Of Fair Play Do Not Apply In Love And War._

* * *

The fight scene was actually a real fight at one point. Well not including the whole table thing cause that is highly illegal. Anyways the character Vicken in this story is based off my best friend whose name is also Vicken, we box together at the same gym. We both needed to blow off steam so this fight ended up happening. Sadly I was Emrick in this fight, but our coach was the maddest I've ever seen him before. We were put on probation for a whole month. That was awful!

Any who, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

READ&REVIEW!

THANKS!

~ My Light Of Life


	23. New Voices In The Darkness

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

Sorry for the delay, I was surprised with a trip to the beach by my friends. I will have another chapter up by the end of next week! Promise! Thanks!

~My Light of Life

* * *

Chapter 23- New Voices In The Darkness

Artemis said goodnight and headed up to shower then sleep, she was exhausted. Emrick smiled, watching her climb the stairs, she would have a nasty bruise on her back the next day.

The kitchen was dark; she flipped the light on over the stove. Opening the refrigerator, she took out buttermilk and a few eggs. She found a frying pan, placing it on the stove. She found bisquick. She turned the burner on medium and went to work mixing the batter.

She didn't notice someone walk in. She didn't even glance up when he took a seat at the bar. She kept her back to him as he continued to watch her actions.

Richard couldn't sleep; he heard the girls walking up the stairs and waited until she was alone. He still couldn't comprehend what he had learned, but she was still Emrick. The little bundle of joy he found that night, all the mischief they had growing up together. Through the good and the bad, they'd always had each other's backs.

He watched as she cooked. His mouth almost dropped open when she added vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. That's how his mother made pancakes. Richard hadn't eaten them since his parents died.

Emrick poured the batter onto the heated pan. She knew she was testing hot water with these. His mother always made pancakes after they had a big show. Emrick wasn't sure how or even if making these would help.

Richard wanted to eat. He needed to eat; those pancakes were the only thing he called normal in his life. He waited patiently as she flipped the first one, sliding butter over the top. She walked over to the cabinet next to the bar, took out two plates and glasses.

Emrick knew he was watching her. He always watched her, for either amusement or trying to figure her out. This time she couldn't decide which one it was. She scooped up the pancake and placed it on the plate before pouring in more batter. She resisted the urge to pace; she could hear him bouncing his knee. She smiled to herself, but then frowned, this was not over yet. She still needed to explain herself. He may never understand but she had to try.

Come on, cook! He couldn't take it anymore. They smelled amazing. His taste buds were going to explode if he couldn't eat them now. She had the second pancake flipped. He knew better than to ask for the plate now. His mother had taught them to wait until all the pancakes were finished. He stared at the pancake as she slid it on the plate. His stomach growled loudly.

Emrick covered her laugh with an odd cough. He was dying to eat, she knew that much. She wanted to taste them again too. She was half way through the third one when his stomach growled again. She peeked at his reflection in the microwave door and almost laughed again. He was on the verge of a pancake breakdown. She quickly finished the fourth pancake, with a little help from her powers. She opened the refrigerator again and took out milk and a bottle of syrup.

Richard saw her walk over to the refrigerator take the milk and syrup out. She poured their glasses then placed one in front of him and the other opposite of him. She put the syrup down in the middle. Then opened a drawer, taking out two forks and knives, placing them by the syrup. Richard grabbed two napkins, and set the forks on them. She finally brought over the pancakes. He was barely keeping it together, drooling almost.

Emrick had barely placed his plate in front of him when he drowned them in syrup used the knife to cut a piece off then shoved it in his mouth. She thought he would choke; the piece was twice the size of his mouth. She cut a significantly smaller piece and placed it in her mouth. She heard Richard involuntarily moan.

He knew he looked weird; these were just so damn good. He finished off his two pancakes in less bites than humanly possible. He watched Emrick eat the rest of hers. Pancakes in the early morning, he couldn't be happier. Then the fantasy broke, shattering the glass that covered his eyes. He remembered what he was here for, he was about to snap, but stayed quiet.

They finished their meal; Emrick stood first taking her own then Richard's plate and glass to the sink. She washed them, wiped the counter up, and placed the dishes in their correct location. She turned around to face him. "Rich…" She started.

Her eyes widened as he gripped her wrists, throwing them above her head as he slammed her back against the wall. He yelled at her, "I trusted you! I fucking trusted you! I can't believe this. I took you in twice! Twice, Emrick!" She winced at the poison that was her name. "How many?" He slammed her wrist back against the wall again. "God damn it how many?" He had finally broken.

She looked him dead in the eyes,"2937." Her gaze never faltered. "3063 if you count last week." She stared at his hate filled eyes, she kept her monotone steady.

"Why?" he whispered. "What could have drawn you to do that?"

She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts, she started again. "Richard, I was not in full control in the beginning and by beginning I mean 1503. Sylas had a great deal to do with it, but it was still I who committed the crime. As the years went by, the Coven grew and it became a normal thing." She knew that sounded crazy insane, but she had to say it. "I don't want to do this anymore, there's one more thing I have to do before this can all be over."

Richard let go of Emrick's wrists, they fell to her side. "Sorry." He grumbled under his breath.

She wished people would stop saying that. "I'm not sorry. Sorry never gets anyone anywhere." She meant it. "There is no point in saying it anymore."

Richard hadn't moved. They stood inches from each other. He wouldn't, or more accurately couldn't look her in the eyes. He was looking at their feet. She had small toes; the nail polish seemed to change color by the second, going from deep red to black then a deep violet. Then he noticed that she was favoring her left ankle. There was a bruise slowly starting to form. His eyes trailed up her legs slowly, more marks. "Artemis." Was all she had to say. He guessed as much. He stopped, his gaze lingering on her ripped shirt, near her hip. He carefully raised his hand, knowing she knew what he was doing.

Emrick shivered when his hand touched her skin. He gently lifted her shirt; he could see his mark clearly. He ran his thumb over the strange scripture. It was beautifully written, with eccentric handwriting. It wasn't anything he had seen, and he hadn't looked into it.

მხოლოდ სიღრმეებში ჯოჯოხეთი

Richard was done being mad. He was disappointed, not toward Emrick but himself. He should've been there for her. He was going to finish this mission even if it killed him. "Are you ever going to tell me what it means?"

He still wouldn't look her in the eyes. The tattoo wasn't in her handwriting. It seemed more rushed, but still showed determination. She weighed her options; it wouldn't hurt to tell him. "Sylas." She watched his reaction, seeing him cringe then snarl at the name. "The night I met him we had sex." She said bluntly unsure of another way to say it. "It was my first eighteenth birthday. He used an iron pick and ink." The color was a deep blue, the night sky. "That was my first lesson in controlling pain. I failed, miserable. He would pour alcohol on it each time I yelped. It's written in Azerbaijani. Although today it's referred to as Georgian." She sighed.

Richard kept his hand on her hip; he continued to rub the tattoo with his thumb in slow circles. His other hand was placed on her right hip. "What does it say?"

_Only In The Depths Of Hell_

Emrick final saw him lift his head, his sea blue eyes looking into her dark ones. They were frightened. "Emrick, what's wrong?"

"You...you didn't hear that?" She stuttered out.

"Hear what?"

"A voice, it...it sounded like. No it cou...couldn't be." Tears glistened in her eyes.

"Who is it?"

"My father."

* * *

He had been concentrating on her for over an hour. He felt her presence. She was with someone, someone important to her. He waited for the right moment to let her know he was here. Here for her. He could hear then talking, a man. He sounded furious with her. She seemed to explain herself. Then all bad emotions were lifted. That's when he heard the name. The reason he was in this predicament.

He spoke to her, knowing she knew who he was. He was going to tell her, he needed to tell her but then the witch walked in. He cut off the connection.

"We'll that disgraceful daughter of yours is taking her sweet time getting here. So I thought we'd have a little chat." Her voice dripped with hatred.

"Don't you mean our daughter?" He knew Charisma would do anything to finally rid herself of the burden he loved. "And of course she's taking her time. She's smart, and has lived many lifetimes."

"I'm sure Sylas would love to fill you in on how 'smart' she's been, since your demise. And I'm sure he'll love to treat you like the honored guest that you are."

"Sylas? You mean that he's still alive?" He asked, wanting to know if it was actually true.

"I am very much still alive, thanks to that lovely daughter of yours." Sylas walked into the room and stood next to Charisma. "You showed her how to create an immortal being, but as you may know now that they could be killed. Machus I would rather not force an answer from you, I know pain does not affect you. But what you may not know is that all your pain is placed upon your daughter, your little Shadow."

Machus had known since the day he saved her. He gave all his memories and knowledge to his only daughter. Therefore, she could live on with it. What he didn't know was that she could feel others pain, he had given her all his pain, he no longer felt any physical pain. And if he were going to be hurt, she would feel it mentally but show no physical damage. He had to reach her again; she should have known it was her father.

_She has to._

* * *

"So Machus is her father, Sylas and Solomon are working with Charisma, who is her mother." Wally said trying to think his way through this.

"Well get the boy a prize, he's a genius!" Heath mocked. His comment received deathly glares from the rest of them.

Vicken and Heath had filled Wally in on everything that had happened. Emrick had quietly told them about what the team saw in Apollo's bunker. Wally didn't say anything at first; he just sat and stared at them. He couldn't even image how the team would act. He took a deep breath and sighed. "If she had no control over it, then she is just a victim in my book."

Emrick's eyes lit up, and she smiled at the speedster.

Apollo turned to Vicken. "So what now?"

"We have to find a way out of here. I think we should keep moving. See where this tunnel ends." Vicken stood from his seat by the wall.

The small team set out once again to find where Purgatory ended, if it ever did. They couldn't have been walking for more than an hour when Emrick stops, mumbling something to herself. "Lassy speak up." Vicken said sweetly.

"He's alive...he is alive!"

"What are you talking about?" Apollo asked. Wally put a hand on Emrick's shoulder.

Heath looked at her. "Who is alive?"

"Daddy."

* * *

READ&REVIEW!

THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


	24. Under It All

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE! IF I DID THE SHOW WOULD BE COMING OUT WITH A THIRD SEASON!

I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.

~My Light of Life

This chapter does a lot of bouncing around, but the next few will only have two places!

* * *

Chapter 24- Under It All

Tongass Forest, Alaska border

Machus inhaled through his nose and slowly released it from his mouth. He let his mind wander once again trying to hone in on his daughter. He had felt the connection between them. It felt powerful, she felt powerful. There was something different this time, something he hadn't noticed the first time. It felt like she was in two places. He concentrated hoping to sense where he felt the two different connections. He heard a bang.

"Dinner is served." Solomon said in a melodramatic singsong type of voice. He threw a plate of the usually on the cage floor. More stale bread and odd-looking water.

They left him alone for the most part. He could feel his strength coming back to him with every minute. He knew there were spells on the birdcage he was trapped in. And undoing them would take time. Time he did not have.

A few hours past and Machus still had not reached his daughter. He grunted and stood, stretching his arms and legs. "You are not as good at stealth as you may think."

Sylas stepped out from his dark corner. His golden eyes glowed as the light hit his face. He ran his hand through his dark hair. He was more built then Machus, looking more like the elusive Dark Knight. "Well, well, well I never thought the day would come when I was standing as a free man and you were the one locked up. Your daughter will be here soon. Charisma and I have a lovely homecoming for her. She will tell us if we don't kill her first or you will finally break and tell us."

"You won't kill her, that'll ruin all your plans. You'll have to wait another five more years."

"That is true, we may have to wait, but you will still be here. Five long years of torture. That should be fun." Sylas walked over gripping his hands against the bars. Machus stood facing him, but Sylas was fast. He grabbed the back of Machus's head and slammed it against the bars. His body slumped to ground.

* * *

Blüdhaven

"Emrick, what are you doing?" Richard yelled as she ran from the room.

"I have to go!" She was yelling through tears.

Richard found her in the communication room, searching something on the computer. The location came into view, the tracker on Solomon. She was using every camera and satellite image she could find to get as close as she could to a small house where the red dot was blinking on the screen.

"Damn it!" She yelled as she zoomed in the image became blurry. "We have to leave now!"

Richard rushed over to her. "We are leaving in a few hours."

"No! I am leaving now." Richard's eyes were strained in fear as he watched Emrick fall into his arms, unconscious.

"Emrick!" He screamed. The noise had woken up the rest of the house. The team was standing in the doorway, trying to find the cause of the ruckus.

"What happened?" Megan walked over as Richard placed Emrick on the nearest couch, resting her head on his lap.

"I'm not sure. She heard a voice, and then ran in here trying to see the house where Solomon was. She wanted leave. Then she just collapsed."

"You think all this just got to her?" Bart said motioning everywhere with his arms.

"Could it be an injury?" Artemis asked. "We did fight and it was a good one."

"It could be, but I don't think so." Richard said brushing hair out of Emrick's face.

Conner yawned. "We should all gear up. When she comes to we're all leaving." He turned and walked out back towards his room. The team wasn't sure what just happened.

Megan blinked a few times collecting her thoughts. "He's right. Bart gather supplies for the ship. I'll go let the League know in case we need back up." The two of them left leaving an archer and a bird alone.

"I...I'm sorry. She is a good person and one hell of a fighter."

Richard looked at Artemis, then back at Emrick. "Someone once told me sorry never gets anyone anywhere; there isn't a point in saying it." He grinned.

Artemis wasn't sure what he was talking about but she returned his grin. "You two look good together." She laughed nervously. "I'm kind of jealous."

Richard had an odd expression splayed across his face.

This time Artemis laughed. "That's a good thing. Take it as a compliment."

Now Richard couldn't keep the grin off his face.

* * *

Purgatory

"They did it. I cannot believe this. After all the failure, they did it!" Apollo said shaking Heath's shoulders.

"What are you all excited about?" Wally gave Vicken a questioning look.

"Machus is alive; he was probably trying to reach out to Shadow, and got this Emrick as well."

Heath swatted his hands trying to get rid of Apollo's grip. "How did they manage to do that? Solomon almost got himself killed back in Chernobyl. If it weren't for Charisma and Hazel, he would be dead. And in my opinion that would be best for everyone, the kids a loose cannon."

Emrick had tears in her eyes. "Daddy." She said again. "He needs me, needs us, all of us."

"Emrick what is the team doing know?" Wally asked. "If Machus was able to reach you then Shadow must have felt it to."

"She is with someone, the man with blue eyes, she heard it too." The men looked at her. "He talked to us. She is running to a screen, it has a red dot on it, near a small house, its white snow is covering it." Emrick stops and looks between all of them. "I can't see anything, it's all dark."

"What?!" Apollo said as he knelt next to her.

"Has this happened before?" Vicken said in a calm voice.

"Yes when she got sick after fighting, she lost too much blood. And another time when Solomon stabbed her."

"She is unconscious?" Wally asked.

"I believe that's it. I do not want to think of the alternative." Heath stated. "What do we do now?"

"We keep moving; when she wakes up we will need to know everything that is going on with them." Emrick's voice was steady and serious.

* * *

Tongass Forest, Alaska border

Machus jerked awake. He reached up to grab his head, but his hands were tied above him where two wooden beams met and made an X. His ankles were tied to two more beams. He could barely move, but could sense someone near him.

_Solomon._

"You're awake." He actually sounded surprised.

"We were never given the chance to formally introduce ourselves. I am Machus; it is a pleasure to meet you."

Solomon blew out a breath and huffed. "Solomon, and there isn't any pleasure in meeting me as for the other two they would have laughed in your face."

"Yes, they would but you did not. Why is that?"

"Don't play your mind games with me. I know what you are, the power you contain. Or what little power you have left after your great sacrifice for your daughter." Solomon through his hands in the air for dramatics. "You and your precious daughter will be dead in the next 24 hours."

"You seem like a nice kid. How did you become wrapped up in a mess like this?"

"I thrive on power and the weakness of others. Charisma and Sylas feel the same way. We will become the most powerful begins in any dimension. And you will provide us with the information."

Charisma walked in at that moment. "Why do you always have the need to tell everyone what we are planning?" She was furious. "You always do this; get the hell out of here. Go find something useful to do."

Solomon glared at her then darted from the room at speedster speed. Closing the door tightly behind him he went out to the main room in the front of the house. He plopped down in one of the oversize chairs.

"HA! She kicked you out?" Sylas said with a grin of amusement of his face.

"Oh shut up!"

"I'm just waiting to see what Charisma will do with you. I bet she will just kill you off; you are too much baggage as it is. But knowing her she will do some kind of performance to get a rise out of everyone."

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about. I helped her perfect that spell and bring Machus back. You did nothing but kill people and sleep with the girl. Shadow already knows what you are. You betrayed all of them." Solomon spat out the words, watching Sylas's reaction.

"Shadow doesn't know everything. She may never know everything. Yes, I betrayed them all; it was a great ride while it lasted. She was ruthless when it came to killing. Living with them for all those centuries, I knew exactly how and where to hit them."

"So you killed the infamous Coven of Shadows. So what? I brought back someone from the dead."

"No you didn't. I did you fool." Charisma slammed the door. "I brought him back. The little insolent girl I regrettable call my daughter will soon be here. The plan is already in the motion. No one will screw this up. Or I will use these screws on you instead." She held up a few of the sharpened and then a few dull screws. "The dull ones take longer to enter the body, they grind of sever against everything. They take their time finding the worse way to exit, if they every do."

* * *

Blüdhaven

"Emrick are you okay? What happened?" Richard said as she began to open her eyes.

"I'm not sure. It felt like something slammed into my face." Emrick stood up holding her head. "We have to go." She said remembering her previous outbreak.

"We are leaving in a few hours. The team is prepped and ready."

"No we have to go, we need to go now!"

Richard stood and placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back. Together they walked towards the kitchen where the rest of the team was waiting. No one said anything. Nods were exchanged and the team walked out the door where the ship was waiting.

Emrick was thinking to herself as she looked around at her newfound friends that took her in and let her stay even knowing what she had done.

_This is it; it's all going to end._

* * *

This story is indeed almost finished. Only two or three chapters left! Any loose ends that need to be tied up please let me know!

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THANKS!

~My Light Of Life


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